Shivers
by Purpliexzy
Summary: Having the hots for your girlfriend's sister is not easy, especially if she is dating your younger brother. Can this feeling be ignored? Not exactly, it actually drives you insane. AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_**Crashing into the trembling void**_

_**Stretching my hand to you**_

_**Losing myself to frigid regret**_

_**Is this fragile love **_

_**A way**_

_**To say **_

_**Good-bye?**_

Closing the door behind her, she reached for her back pocket to bring out her phone. When she took it out and saw that there is still nothing from Katherine, she decided that she is going to call her. Katherine told her not to call her and that she would call her when she reached the school but she was so god damn worried, she is the only relative she has left. Well, except for the boy that always tell her that she is his sister but he is mentally affected. Jeremy, nobody knew where he was from but Alaric was kind enough to give him a job at the grill and it was good to see him getting better. Even though she know how a sixteen year old with mental problem can be, she thinks Jeremy is a really good boy but Katherine always tells her to stay away from him.

Katherine is twenty and she is eighteen, their parents died two years ago due to a car accident and no matter what a vindictive bitch Katherine is, she takes care of her and she couldn't ask for a better sister. When Katherine got admitted to Duke University, she hesitated about going until Giuseppe Salvatore their father's best friend and their next door neighbour convinced her to go and that Elena will be safe in their hands, him and his two sons Damon and Stefan.

They are the real hunks of Mystic falls. Damon is twenty one while Stefan is nineteen and she is dating Stefan. While Stefan was the goody two shoes and the kind of guy every girl wants to take to a family dinner, Damon is the complete opposite and will ruin the dinner with a sarcastic comment before it even starts. Damon is the real charmer and he does anything to get what he wants but his relationship with Giuseppe was strained. His mother died when he was sixteen and he had always been a mummy's boy. Stefan on the other hand is what their father wants all of them to be, it is kind of funny how Giuseppe would take Stefan out of town to some business trips and leave Damon alone.

Right now, Giuseppe and Stefan are leaving to Chicago and Stefan came to say goodbye to her a few minutes ago. Not that she is complaining or anything but Giuseppe likes Katherine more than he likes her, sure he is taking the place of her guardian –not that she isn't old enough- but he always stand up for her studies and she even talked to him and Alaric when she needed an elder's word when applying for colleges. She is graduating in two weeks and she is happy like never before. Her friends Caroline and Bonnie applied to NYU too and they have been planning on being roommates since then.

Prom is in two days and Stefan is gone. She gasped as she realised that all this sounds way too good to be true, did he forget that he is her date? He could have told her 'hey Elena, I am leaving town so you can find a new prom date.' She huffed and she realised that as always he is being too shy and he realised that she is going to be disappointed if he left her without a date but a little warning is better than no warning. She is gonna have to find a new date or she is going to walk inside that prom alone without anyone because she is pretty sure that all the boys in Mystic High have a bucket list of what to do with their girlfriends after prom.

Here is a solution, she is going to the grill and stalk guys and just ask someone if he wants to be her date. Rubbish.

She dialled Katherine's number and she picked up on the first ring and Elena rolled her eyes.

"You kept me waiting for what, 2 hours?" Elena said and she heard Katherine gasped dramatically.

"**Did I? Oh god**." She said sarcastically and huffed.

"Yeah good to know you are taking all this serious." Elena said in her own sarcastic manner. "I wouldn't bother myself again."

"**Oh sis, I am sorry. Look, will you tell Damon to bring over the files I left at his house?" **Katherine said and Elena rolled her eyes.

"1) why don't you call Damon? 2) The guy is probably busy why won't you just bring yourself over here and pick it by yourself. Save him the torture of travelling 3 hours." Elena scolded and she could practically see Katherine rolling her eyes on the other side of the phone.

"1) I won't call Damon because, uh wait... I won't call him because he would say no. You can be pretty convincing so do it. 2) He is my boyfriend, he should do anything I say and who declines the offer to see their girlfriend? No one." Elena could hear her smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I don't have a prom date. Stefan is on a trip with Giuseppe." Elena said and Katherine chuckled.

"**That sucks but you are pretty hot, you would find yourself a date." **

"Gee thanks for the compliment but I don't think I am **that **hot. Bonnie is going with Matt so I am left with one option."

"**No you wouldn't dare.**" Katherine shouted and Elena huffed.

"It is just a one hour date and the boy is like two years older than me, I wouldn't do anything with him." Elena said but Katherine continued to protest.

"No, no, no. And that is final." Katherine cried.

"Fine." Elena said as she hung up the phone. Katherine is gone for less than 6 hours and they are already fighting through the phone. Why wouldn't she just let her do what she wants? She gets up and followed the backdoor as she knocked on the door near their house. She giggled as Damon opened the door looking shaggy.

"Well well, look what the cat drags in." She joked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"**You **are what the cat drags in."

"But I don't look like I have been dragged by a cat." She said as she scooted and entered the house under his arm that is leaning against the door frame. "And who would say Damon Salvatore actually has and wears a SpongeBob pyjama pants?" she smirked and Damon walked towards her with an irritating glance on his face.

"You are not going to tell anyone." He said in a warning tone and she put her index finger under her chin pretending to be deep in thought.

"Uhh, let me see... that is not gonna happen." She laughed as his face fell. "What it is gonna ruin your reputation?" she asked and he pouted with a shrug. "Okay, you are gonna have to bribe me." She said and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I would be your prom date." he said and her eyes widened in surprise. "What, I know you would be in that dilemma right now. with Stefan away and all the other guys in Mystic Falls are not your class..."

"I did not say that."

"Duh!"

"Okay, the deal is sealed." She smiled. "I would have gone with Jeremy." She said. "I don't care if Katherine would be angry or not." She mumbled and Damon raised a brow.

"You were going to take the crazy kid as your date?"

"He is not crazy." She huffed and stomped her foot as Damon held up his hand in surrender as he saw how over protective he is becoming.

"Fine, he is not." Damon said. "He is actually kinda cool and that friend of yours, Tyler is taking care of him a lot." Damon said as she nods in a calm way and he moved towards the kitchen. "Will you ever stop staring at those pyjama pants?" he asked and she laughed as he gave her a cup of coffee and she mumbled her thank you. She loved hanging out with Damon because he is the only person that keeps her coffee obsession in mind.

"They are kinda cute." She said a blush creeping up her face and she let her straight hair falls down to her side to hide her blush.

"Yeah, my mother bought it for me on my 16th birthday. A few months before she died." He said sadly and she felt bad for bribing him and she shakes her head with her mouth full of the sip she took from her coffee. She turned to look at him and he rolls his eyes. "A deal is a deal, you are not breaking this one."

"If you don't want to-"

"I want to; I would be alone all week anyway. We can hang out all the time."

"Thank you." She smiled gratefully and he rested his head on his palm as he prop up his elbow on the hand rest of the couch.

"Okay, why are you really here?" he asked. "Saint Stefan is not here and you wouldn't have come here because of me." He said and she shakes her head.

"Now you are making me feel awful." It is true, all the time that they would be home alone she never visits him, it was him all the time and he made her dinner and treats her like his little sister. Okay that is what she is right, she is his girlfriend's little sister.

"No, don't. I am just saying the truth." He said and she nods.

"How about we hang out all the time, like you said." She said and he smiled as he looked up and he shrugs a little.

"I would love that."

"Good." She said. "Katherine wants you to take over her files that she left here." She said and she saw his face fell a little and he smiled suddenly. **Maybe he remembered the all the fun he could have with her sister when they would go over there.**

"Fine, but we are going together." He said with his smile on his face and Elena protested.

"She specifically said you which mean she wants only you. Katherine always has a secret agenda." She said and he nods in agreement but he didn't back down.

"What happened to hanging out all the time?" he said. "Besides, it is a road trip Elena. No one in his sane mind says on to a road trip with a hot guy."

"Not when the guy is your sister's boyfriend and you are dating his brother." She said and his lips were set in a firm line as he groaned.

"We have a clichéd life."

"I know right." Elena laughed as she stood up to leave and Damon swung his arm in her shoulder as he walked her to the door. "Wear your best tux; I don't want my older date looking less handsome when my age mates are looking like Greek gods."

"You know, I would walk in that prom in those pyjamas" he said pointing to himself "and be an **actual **Greek god in front of **your **age mates. They are Matt, the bartender of my buddy's grill and Tyler, the football player."

"So?"

"I am better looking than them." he said in a duh tone as he rolled his eyes and Elena laughed.

"Gee, you are so modest Damon."

"I know." He said before kissing her cheek and waving her goodbye. He closed the door behind him and plopped on the couch. Katherine is gone for like 5 hours and she wants to see him already, the thought made him smirk because he is already starting to miss her but that can be fixed.

Stefan is away and both Elena and him need company and they could hang out all week before Stefan shows his face and Elena runs back to his arms. Elena is the only girl he liked in mystic falls, not because she was his girlfriend sister but because she is smart and knows what she wants even if she is selfless enough to put other people's happiness before hers. For a long time, he wanted to know more about her and he heard a lot about her from Katherine because Katherine loves Elena almost as much as she loves herself.

Damon always knew Stefan is insecure about Elena and he hates seeing them together but who blames him. Not that he has the hots for Elena or anything, the girl is his girlfriend's sister and he would be damned to want something more from her. He likes her in a strictly platonic way.

**But things are bound to change.**

**..**

**This chapter is a bit shorter but I will make it up in the next chapter. Right now both Damon and Elena are not into each other because they don't spend a lot of time around each other.**

**Check my other story, Fighting The Test. There will be an update for it before Sunday or on Sunday. xx**

**Thanks for reading and please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"_**Since that night, I have never seen nor heard your name without a shiver half of delight, half of anxiety"**_

As she stood in front of the mirror observing her 'prom self', her hand slid to her neck as her fingers stroke the gemstone beaded necklace she is wearing. She had been wearing it for as long as she could remember. It was beautiful and even though it had choked her so many times before it actually fits to her neck, she never hated it. She looked down to her dress. It was a sparkling strapless sequin bodice with empire waist and she doesn't want to get ahead of herself but she knew she is going to capture the spotlight. The skirt of the dress is a colourful floor length with layers of tulle and she couldn't help but feel beautiful and sexy at the sight. Her hair was tied up in a bun and a few strands were let down in a curl and they fall freely to the side of her face and her neck.

"Stefan doesn't know how much he is missing out on." Caroline quipped as she clapped her hands and came to stand behind Elena in front of the mirror. "I'd be jealous of Damon if I were him." She said and Elena rolled her eyes.

Caroline had came over a little too quickly to get Elena dressed for the prom because she knew Elena could skip it since Stefan is not in town and nothing that Elena said convinced her till she got her ready. She turned around to look at Caroline and rolled her eyes as she saw that she is still wearing her short denim skirt and one of her little shirts that has a funny saying on them.

"Caroline, I think you should go." Elena said. "You'd miss prom while you are totally changing what I look like." She saw Caroline rolled her eyes before breaking into a fit of giggles. "What?"

"I remembered homecoming." Caroline stuttered between laughter and Elena started laughing hysterically.

"Oh my-" Elena said wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of her eyes. "As much as I appreciate the fun we are having right now, I don't want to ruin my makeup and I actually want to be with my best friend at prom."

"Tyler had that Dana slut puked all over him trying to make me jealous." Caroline said ignoring Elena and Elena burst out laughing again, this time throwing her head back in laughter.

"And it actually worked, you kissed that DJ Caroline." Elena shouted. "The guy smelled like rotten eggs and he looked like he hadn't shower in days. You smelt like him when I dragged you home and you asked me if I loved you. When I said yes, you told me to dump my boyfriend and we will be free of boy drama."

"I don't mean that." Caroline shouted in her defence and Elena waggled her brow. "Really Caroline? Because the truth comes out when one is drunk."

"Eugh!" Caroline groaned. "I don't have a thing for you. You are not Jennifer Lawrence."

"Exactly, you are not Johnny Depp." Elena said and Caroline's eyes widened.

"The guy is old enough to be your father." Caroline said and Elena winked at her.

"Yeah, imagine the heat we could generate." She whispered in a husky voice. "Eighteen year old and a forty nine year old." She said and Caroline suddenly turned red and she grabbed her bag, Elena knew that she had succeeded in making Caroline leave as she smirked. "Since when are you a prude Care' bear?" Elena winked and Caroline shook her head.

"Since you know that my boyfriend is sick and I have being celibate for three months but you still make fun of me." Caroline deadpanned and Elena almost felt bad but she didn't. Caroline was the first person that pushed her to give in to having sex with Stefan, so if there is a prude in the room, it definitely isn't Caroline. She is just sexually frustrated and she avoided having sex talks but Elena knew the only thing that would get Caroline out of the room was that because when they get together, they stayed joined in the hip and never break apart.

"Aww, okay I am sorry." Elena reached to hug Caroline dramatically and Caroline rolled her eyes as she hugged her back and made her way out of the room. She thanked god that she could actually go months without sex and she never feels frustrated the way Caroline is. She could even count the number of times they did it with Stefan and Stefan being away doesn't affect her a bit.

They spent hours talking to each other at night and he was glad to hear that Damon is going to be her prom date when she told him. He genuinely apologised for leaving without saying anything about prom and she forgave him. Yesterday though when she told Stefan that she has been hanging out with Damon for the past days, his tone changed and if she didn't **know **what her boyfriend is like, she would say he is jealous.

Damon is like her brother and he has been looking after her for the past few days and she has become more open to his presence. She enjoyed having him around and when he stepped out of their house a few hours back to let her get ready, she missed him more than anything but she told herself it was because she is lonely. When Caroline came to help her with prom she totally forgot about the whole world outside her and it was only two friends playing dressing up even if she didn't get to dress Caroline. It wasn't fair.

Her thoughts drifted back to her parents and she felt tears welling up in her eyes, this is the moment when she misses them the most. The moment when her mother is supposed to take out a camera and snap pictures of her and her date as they headed to prom. The moment when she snaps family pictures with everyone in her prom dress. So she isn't even in the run for prom queen and she could care less about that. That is not her that is Katherine.

Katherine has been getting those types of crown since she was seven and Elena knew Katherine have more than ten of them but she only has two and she is thankful for the only ones she had. One is for junior prom and the other one is for homecoming. When she was announced the homecoming queen, she was totally taken aback because she tried to shut down Caroline when she tried to get votes for her. She even tore down some posters that Caroline put off as she told her that people could not resist voting for her if they saw these long legs.

**..**

Standing in front of the house, he knocked on the door and it didn't take ten seconds as it flew open and there she was, standing in front of him, grinning. He grinned back as he handed her the flowers he had brought her. He saw her lips parted in surprise and he smiled as she rushed to the kitchen to put them in the water. As she came back and linked her arm with his, they walked outside and to her surprise a limo had arrived ready to take them. She couldn't help the squeal that escaped her lips as she entered the limo and Damon did the same with their arms still linked.

"I am not pushing you into this right?" after small talks, Elena got paranoid and she thinks that he is here unwillingly. As his face went blank and he watched her in surprise about how she care about his opinion she unlinked their arms and put her face in her palms. "God I am such an idiot. I knew you don't want to come but I was so selfish." She said looking up and staring at him "And you, you are such a wimp. Why didn't you just tell me? Just because you are dating my sister, it doesn't mean that you must take care of me and make me happy." She rambled on and her perfectly shaped brows flew up as he burst out laughing when she is done. "What is so funny?"

"You." He laughed and he turned serious with a simple smile on his face. "Elena, I wanted to come with you and I offered, I didn't care if you are going to go to the town square and shout that I have a SpongeBob pyjama pants, I even have the shirts and I would have tell you but that is beside the point. And in **my **defence, I am bored and I am in need of some company and coming to prom with you perfectly fills up that space." He soothed and her face broke into a smile as her phone starts ringing. She pulled it out and saw Stefan; she smiled as she answered the call.

"Hey, guess where I am?" she said with a giggle.

"**Where?**" he asked and she leaned her head back.

"On my way to prom, with Damon." She said and she heard him kept quiet for a bit.

"**Oh, how is he?**" he asked and she frowned a little, from the looks of it she isn't exactly thrilled with Stefan's tone and Damon shifted uncomfortably because the volume on her phone is too high and he could hear her conversation with dear little brother.

"He is good." Elena said trying to cheer the mood hoping that Damon didn't hear Stefan or he is completely oblivious to their conversation.

"**Good to know that, have fun.**" He said. "**We'll talk later when you are back okay?**"

"Okay." Her face fell a bit and she hung up but she didn't get the chance to talk or complain about it as the car stopped and they got out and made their way towards the hall. When Damon's hands slid around her silk clad waist she sighed and she didn't know where it came from because she wasn't holding a sigh and she wasn't relieving herself from anything.

"Here we go." Damon whispered in her ear and she scoffed as she realised what he is referring to. People saw them together and they are already whispering and making assumptions.

"This town sucks." Elena said and Damon nods in agreement as Caroline rushed to her. Her mouth hanged open as she saw that Caroline had arrived earlier than her. Okay, in her defence Damon didn't show up early and Caroline's house is like a 5 minutes' walk to the school.

Caroline was wearing a black floor length dress with silver sequins that sparkles just at the top chest area. The dress is puffy and it brings out the blonde's figure perfectly and Elena squealed as she hugged Caroline.

"I was thinking of getting all the spotlight but I take that back." Elena said waggling her brows and Caroline nudges her.

"Come on, I'd wear the most expensive dress and I would not look nearly as gorgeous as you do." As Caroline said that, Damon's arm slid possessively around her narrow waist and she tilt her head to the side to look at him and she found out that he is looking down at her and she heard a shutter sound in front of them. She turned quickly and she smiled brightly as she saw that Jeremy had snap her and Damon's picture.

So for a mental patient, Jeremy looked so handsome and he doesn't look his age and he actually fits with the people here.

"Hey." Elena smiled at him and he nods shyly at her as he shows her the picture he snapped. They would be seriously mistaken if anyone saw the picture but it is a good thing that everyone knows that nothing is happening there or going to happen, **ever**. It was just a moment captured but a picture is worth a thousand words. She didn't get a chance to say anything as Caroline pulled her away from Damon and Damon was left standing alone.

This day is turning out so fine for him and not so fine, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful and sexy Elena looked as she grinned at him the moment he opened the door, then they got into the limo and she turned really cute as kept blabbering about how she had came into his personal space and forced him to dome with her. Now he couldn't help but admire how the skirt of her dress fits her as Caroline pulled her away.

Snapping out of his thoughts he thanked god as he saw Jeremy standing next to him and he tapped his shoulder. The kid looked scared but he turned normal as Damon smiled at him "Can I see the picture?" he asked and Jeremy smiled.

"Sure." He said as he turned his digital camera towards Damon and Damon smiled as he saw the picture.

"You are good." Damon said. "Will you print it out for me?"

"I would love to." Jeremy said a little too fast and Damon raised a brow as Jeremy scratched the back of his head. "No one has ever appreciated my work before."

"Really?" Damon said looking surprised as he continued to look at Jeremy's photography works. "People are idiots." He mumbled and Jeremy laughed whole heartedly and Damon smiled at the sight. He was glad to know that Jeremy is comfortable with him, Jeremy only hangs out with Caroline's boyfriend Tyler and Elena even though Katherine always scolds Elena for hanging out with him. He was a cool kid and he wants to help him.

"I'll give it to Elena the next time I see her, you are neighbours right?"

"Yes." Damon smiled.

"But you are not her boyfriend." Jeremy frowned and Damon laughed. He wasn't offended that Jeremy is getting a little too personal but the kid is not well and he is close to Elena so he would love to know what is going on in her life.

"Nope." Damon said. "She is dating my brother." He said and Jeremy smiled as he waved Damon a little and stalks away. Damon looked across the room and he saw Elena laughing with her friends. He saw her smile grew a little wider as Jeremy walked to them and talked to her about something. She waved him goodbye and he left. As if on a cue, it was called to dance and Elena made her way over to Damon and he smiled as he saw her walked back to him with the brightest smile on her face. No matter what, it is good to know that she is enjoying herself.

"Sorry, my friends are crazy." She said and Damon rolled his eyes as he pulled her closer to him and they danced.

"Tell me something I don't know." He said and she laughed. "You know, I used to babysit Tyler. Tell me how awkward that is, I was seven and he was four. It is just like having a dog take care of a cat. It doesn't make sense at all." She laughed more at his story. Mystic falls was a small town and almost everyone is friends with the other people so it is not unexpected.

"Really? You have to tell me an embarrassing story about him" she said "He still uses my crush on Samurai Jack to taunt me."

She said and she saw that he has a really funny expression on his face and she smacked his chest as he burst out laughing. He wanted to laugh at her but he was holding it back but she helped him get through with it.

"Samurai Jack? Really Elena, I thought it would be among one of the power rangers?" he teased and she shrugged. "So, Tyler thinks that Bubbles is the most beautiful and cute girl in the world."

"Bubbles? From powerpuff girls?" she asked and he nods as her lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "No wonder he is so mad about Caroline, blondes are just his thing."

"Yup." He smirked and she laughed.

"I saw you and Jeremy?"

"So?"

"You don't do nice, Damon."

"I like the kid." He said with a shrug and she cocked a brow as he rolled his eyes. "Seriously, do you find it hard to believe that I would actually like him? He is cool and he snaps good pictures."

"No he is just not well and I don't want people messing with him."

"You are so over protective when it comes to him." He observed and she shrugs. "I won't mess with him." He said and she nods with a smile and he feels glad to know that she believes what he said. They danced for a good amount of time and he spun her around many times making her giggle.

He spun her around for the fourth time and her eyes widened as her back was pressed to his chest and their faces were so close. She giggled. "You are good at this." he rolled his eyes in a teasing manner as he brought his lips closer to her ear.

"I've got moves you've never seen." He said and they continued to dance again as partners were exchanged. She fell into the hands of Klaus Mikealson and she rolled her eyes as he smirked at her face.

"You look gorgeous." He said and she rolled her eyes and then cocked her brow.

"Yeah, if you are the first person that told me that I wouldn't believe it but it is good to know that you are not." She answered in a snarky tone.

"Feisty, I always liked you better than your sister." He said and she frowned.

"That did not stop you from dating her and don't talk to me like that." she spat and he shakes his head.

"I dated her because you were unavailable."

"I wouldn't date a pimp like you even if I was available."

"You wouldn't be able to resist this body." He said gesturing to himself. "Your sister told me no girl could."

"Okay, I am glad to tell you that I am not among these girls that find pathetic people like you attractive, so back off." She smirked and she saw him shrug as he moved his lips to her ear.

She cringed as his lips brushed her ear "Keep looking like that and your sister would never get to keep a man because they would come back rushing to you. I see that Salvatore has finally opened his eyes and notice you. But what about the little brother?" he gasped dramatically as he pulled away. "Tragic."

He walked away and she clenched her fists in anger, this was a good evening before Klaus showed his face. Him and Katherine had dated when Katherine is sixteen and he was eighteen. Everyone warned off Katherine but she didn't listen because the bad boy vibe was pushing her towards him every time someone complained about them. They broke things off when Klaus starts seeing her best friend secretly and he cheated on her. it was when Katherine was eighteen that she started seeing Damon and it looks like things are going to last for Katherine.

Damon walked back to her and she forced a smile as she forced out everything Klaus said out of her head and she decided to have a good time. When it was time for the announcement, Tyler and Caroline were the prom king and queen but she isn't in the mood to celebrate and she told Damon she is going home. He happily obliged and they went back home but her mind is filled with what Klaus had said to her.

**..**

**Who likes? :D this might not be the end of Klaus but I assure you that he is not a threat to DE. No one is a threat to DE in this; the only threat is... well, Damon and Elena themselves for being in this situation. ;) **

**So maybe I lied, this will be longer than seven chapters because I enjoy writing it and I am sure some of you enjoy reading it, so stick around for more. Don't forget to check out my other story Fighting the Test.**

**I appreciate each and every follow, favourite and review more than you could imagine. Thank you. Xx**

**And you should be happy for me, Ian replied my email and he tells me that he appreciate me. (I know he send that to almost everyone) but that is my personal one, it came in my email inbox and my life was made.**

**Please review, I appreciate them and it pushes me to write more.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Elena?" she heard him call from downstairs and she buried her head in the pillow. It has been three days since prom and she has been doing a good job of avoiding him but he is not taking any of it. She heard the stairs thump and she knew he is coming up here. When the door barged open, she knew she didn't have any chance of escaping. "Get up, we are going out."

"Out?"

"Yeah, you know have some fun, drink a little-"

"No." She interrupted and he raised a brow.

"Play pool." He said and he knew she couldn't resist but he was so wrong. He saw her shook her head and he moved to sit beside her. "Come on Elena, what type of friend would I be if I let you sulk in your room missing your boyfriend, who happens to be my brother all week?" yeah, that is the thing. She didn't miss Stefan anymore. Not after they keep fighting every time over the phone and he keeps telling her what to do. Yesterday night, he called her and told her that he is coming back but that is it, he didn't tell her when. She heard from Damon that they will be coming back tomorrow.

Apparently Damon has already invited Stefan to come with them to see Katherine and Stefan had happily obliged. She understands where Stefan's jealousy is coming from, Damon is an incredibly good looking man and it is a lie to not admit that even once but nothing is going to happen there. He is 21 and she is 18, okay not much age difference so that is not a problem but he is dating her sister, her only sister and family left, Katherine.

Even if she have something for Damon, she will not let it get to her mind but it is a good thing she doesn't want him romantically but in the past few days she has come to a conclusion that she enjoys his company more than anything and she wants to be around him more than she wants to be around her friends. Surely it feels good to have a friend that is not your age and pampers you –because he is dating your sister, of course- but he totally make her smile even when she doesn't want to. His little smirk, his ego and his nice words would make every girl, she repeat, every girl fall for him but she is not **letting **herself do that.

"You are right." She hissed as she stood up one her feet and pull one of her jackets from the coat hanger and pulled it over her body. She saw Damon's smile as he watched her apply a little lip gloss on her lips and came to stand beside him with a smile on her face. Fuck everything, she is going to have fun with Damon even if Stefan approves or not. It is not like he own her or anything. This is their last day together, alone. At least they should do something fun with it. Without notice, Damon grabbed her palm and they walked downstairs together to his car, she saw that his car is still parked in his driveway and he told her to wait for him to bring it but she rolled her eyes and follow him.** This is you last day as a 'princess', take advantage of it. **Her conscience told her and she smiled at her own thoughts and followed Damon.

When they moved in front of the house, Damon saw something on his doorstep and he walked over to it as Elena followed him silently and he took it. Flowers? **Weird.**

She saw Damon frown with confusion as he took it but suddenly his face broke into a smile and she eyed him curiously. Why would anyone send Damon flowers? He read the note attached to it and Elena crossed her arms eying him. He frowned a bit as he finished reading and saw her expression before his face turned into a smirk.

"Flowers, seriously!" she exclaimed and he rolled his eyes as he opened the door and took the flowers with him inside. She followed him as she continued "Who is sending you flowers Damon?" she asked seriously and he turned to her with a smirk on his face, doing that eye thing that he does.

"Why do you care?" he asked and she groaned.

"You are dating my sister."

"Really?" he pouts "I thought you were jealous?"

Oh god, she is so not having this conversation with him.

"Of course, Johnny Depp is standing in front of me. I'd be jealous if I see him taking flowers from other girls." She said sarcastically as she turned away and she heard his laugh behind her.

"I am hotter than him." He spoke and she laughs. Damon was right, she wasn't defending Katherine's honour; she was doing what seemed right to her and doing that means she is protecting Katherine.

"Of course you are, Damon." Elena said. "Come on." She said as she gestured for him to come over.

"The flowers were from Jenna." He said as they drove towards the grill and she turned to look at him with widened eyes. Damon likes every Elena but a surprised Elena is more fun and cute. Her big doe eyes widened, her plump lips slightly parted.

"Jenna? Alaric's girlfriend?" she asked. Why would Alaric's girlfriend send Damon flowers? She is getting more confused by the minute. "Why would she send you flowers?"

"Because they just got engaged, Elena. And that is what sister in laws do. It is not romantic, she sent me flowers and Ric sent me a frame of them." he paused as Elena blushed "Cliché, I know."

"No, no" she murmured "It is just that, um." She said at a loss of words as she just shook her head and brushed a stray hair from her face "That is great, I am happy for them." she said and he smiled as they reached the grill. "You need to stop corrupting me, I am like your little sister and you are bringing me here to drink? This is bad."

"Since you are complaining" Damon said with a smirk as he made a move to turn "Let's go to a restaurant."

"No I am not." She said as she caught his arm and turned him around with a giggle "I am just telling you that my sister would not be too proud of her boyfriend."

"Ugh, who cares?" he said simply "Let's just live in the moment, besides your sister told me she first got drunk when she was thirteen. It is normal but **normal** people wait till they are fourteen or fifteen right?"

"So are you among those normal people or not?" she asked as they slid in the bar stool and Damon shrugs as she rolled her eyes. "And I have got my answer." She said as Matt walked over to them.

"Hey Matt." Elena's face lit up as she saw her friend.

"Little Lena'" Matt teased and Elena feigned anger as Damon stared at her with a smirk on his face.

"I wouldn't call her that." he said and Elena blushed deep red. What is up with him today? He has been flirting with her nonstop and it doesn't look like it is gonna stop besides she doesn't want it to. Wait what?

"Yes, I agree." Matt said as he clicked his tongue. "That was like 6 to 7 years ago."

"Yeah, yeah whatever guys." She rolled her eyes "you are both awful."

"Do you prefer Tyler?" Matt grinned and she rolled her eyes.

"No." She answered. "But that doesn't mean you are **any **better than him. Now bring that bourbon." Elena said and Damon's eyes widened at her straight forwardness and she smirked. "What I am just making this day worth remembering."

"And I am enjoying it **immensely**." Damon said as he high fived her and Matt turned away. They sat and discuss movies as Damon made fun of all the movies she liked except Harry Potter.

"Ooh, someone is a potterhead." She sang as Damon laughs.

"Yeah I **love **brilliance, and believe me there is no single flaw in that movie."

"For once, I agree with you 100%." She said and Damon was about to respond when another voice came into the conversation.

"Hey Elena, Damon." Jeremy said as he walked over to them looking at his feet and wobbling slightly as he walks which Elena finds cute and she smiled.

"Jer-" Elena said and Damon looked at her oddly. "How are you doing?" she said as she ruffled his hair and Jeremy giggled like a girl as Damon turned fully to look at them.

"Fine, I have been looking for you for the past two days."

"Really?" Elena smiled. "What do you have for me?" she said as she turned to look at Damon who is smiling.

"Not you in particular" he scratched his head "Damon." Jeremy said as he moved to Damon and Elena turned to Damon's side to see him grinning ear to ear. Jeremy brought out something wrapped in a brown paper and gave it to Damon. Elena looked at them curiously as Damon unwrapped it and she gasped as she saw what is in it.

"No way!" she muttered in surprise as she snatched the frame from Damon and looks at it. "I want this." she said as she hid it behind her with a childish expression and Damon shook his head.

"Real cute princess but that is mine." Damon said and Elena pouts.

"Do you want it?" Jeremy asked Elena and she nods. She want it more than anything, she want to put it on her nightstand just beside her picture with Bonnie and Caroline from prom and it would be a full memory. "I wasn't sure if you'd like it, I made two. I'll give Tyler to give it to you."

"Oh that's awesome." Elena said waggling her brows and Damon turned to Jeremy.

"How much does doing this cost you?" Damon asked Jeremy with a smile and Jeremy shuffled his weight from one foot to another and he smiled back.

"Don't worry about it." Jeremy said dismissing the topic and Elena cocked a brow. He didn't think he is going to do something incredible as this and watch them walk away without paying it, did he?

"Jeremy, these frames are really expensive." Elena said showing her concern and Jeremy shrugs.

"Well, unlike you many of us work and we get paid for it." he said and her mouth widened slightly as she punched his shoulder playfully.

"Ouch Jeremy." She said. "Thank you."

"Thank you Jeremy." Damon said in his own sincere voice and Elena looks at him as if wondering if he had it in him before.

"Anything for Elena and her friends." He paused and turned around. "She is my sister." He said before walking away and leaving both of them dumbfounded.

"What is he talking about?" Damon asked in a little voice and Elena sighed as she turned around and looked at Matt serving her drinks.

"Some crazy idea he has about me being his sister." She said as she gulped down her drink. "I think I am gonna need more of this" she gestured to her drink "It was long since he talked about it and I don't know what I feel because he is really serious."

"Hey, he is just a kid going through a hard time." Damon said as he puts his hand on her back and caress her hair "he just likes you a lot and maybe he always wanted a sister." Damon shrugs and Elena nods.

Two hours later, it is already getting dark and Elena is too drunk that she couldn't tell the difference between Bonnie and Caroline as they walked into the grill. They walked to her as Caroline's eyes widened in amusement as she saw Elena drunk.

"Wow." Caroline mumbled as she tapped Elena's shoulder "So are you taking a break from being uptight or you are **done **being uptight."

"It is only for the night." Elena giggled as she takes the pool stick and gestured for Damon to come over but he didn't. She saw her friends' eyes both widened as Bonnie started throwing judgemental looks her way. "Okay guys, don't even start." She rolled her eyes as Caroline giggled and Bonnie folded her arms against her chest.

"You are here with Damon?" Bonnie asked as Elena sighed and stick her pool stick to the ground. She loved Bonnie to death but she hates it when she is being judged and she is not going to let her judge her relationship with Damon. **Whoa there, **the bourbon has definitely gone to her head and she shook her head before turning to Bonnie and smirking.

"Yes mum."

"I am not your mum."

"Duh!" Elena glared at her and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Okay Bonnie, Elena is having fun and that is a good thing but Elena you need to be careful, don't do something you'll regret." Caroline said and Elena smirked as Tyler walked up to them and puts his arm around Caroline and pulls her to his body.

"Speaking of regrets, Tyler do you have any regrets?" Elena said and Caroline furrowed her brows.

"What?" Caroline said and Elena giggled.

"Okay, Mrs Jack you are drunk." Tyler said and she rolled her eyes, it is like those people have ten eyes and she has only two. Hell, they don't even know what she is feeling in her head right now but she intends to mess with them a little.

"Thank you captain obvious, now would you tell her about the crush you have on that blonde?" Elena said setting her hand on her hip.

"What?" new record, Caroline is speechless.

"Yes, the one that always wears blue and go around with smiley face." Elena said and Tyler turned to look at Caroline who is just as confused as him.

"What are you talking about?"

"No, no, no" Damon said as he walked up to her and put his arm around her waist "We are leaving."

"No!" she said as she scrambled out of his touch that sends tingles to her toes. When she is drunk, she gets like hundred times more sensitive.

"You are drunk and you don't know what you are saying." Damon said and she huffed as one more person mentioned the 'you are drunk' line.

"No, I am not. My tolerance is way up here." She said as she puts up her hand in the air and jumped. Damon rolled his eyes and helped her get into her jacket.

"What is going on?" a still confused Caroline asked and Elena could see that her best friend is on the verge of tears and she felt bad immediately.

"Nothing." Elena said. "I was messing with Tyler." She added and it was Caroline's turn to put her hand on her hip.

"Seriously, I told her that Tyler thinks Bubbles, you know her right? The blue one in powerpuff girls is the prettiest girl ever and that is what she is saying." Damon came to her rescue and Caroline and her both sighed in relief as Caroline slapped the back of Elena's head.

"Hey." Elena murmured in protest as she saw a little and shy smile on Caroline's face. If Damon wasn't here, she would have messed up and she is never going to forgive herself for it.

"That is for scaring me." Caroline said and Elena saw Bonnie shooting her daggers. Okay, what is up with this woman? Elena thought.

"What is up with you?" Elena turned to Bonnie. "It is not like I killed your puppy or anything. Besides, why would I kill a puppy?" she turned to Damon pouting and Damon did his best to push down his laughter but it came out and Elena slapped his chest. "Get me out of here. Bonnie looks like she is going to pin me inside the ground with her eyes." Elena said bluntly and Damon smiled.

"Goodnight Elena, feel better." Caroline said and Elena winked at her. she is totally clueless, she didn't know what she was doing and she is surely gonna regret some part of the night tomorrow, like the part where her hand is now on the lower back of Damon and her head is in the crook of his neck.

"Uhmm" she breathed and closed her eyes. She didn't know if she is saying goodbye to Caroline or it is Damon's incredible scent that left her speechless, she could stay in this position forever.

She didn't know when she fell asleep but she knows that her head feels like it is going to fall off her neck. She groaned and she heard voices like they are having the conversation in her ear.

"What happened to her?" she heard a voice ask as someone tried to take her away from the passenger's seat.

"She is **only **drunk, Stefan." Stefan, Stefan, she knew that name. Oh, of course. He is Damon's little brother, her boyfriend. Ugh!

"Damon, she can't walk on her feet. And why would she get drunk?"

"Because not everyone is as broody and uptight as you and father." Damon replied and she wanted to giggle but she couldn't even find the courage to open her eyes.

"Leave her, I would take her." Stefan said and that is when it registered on her mind and she pried her eyes open. Stefan had come back totally unexpected and was he hoping to catch her in an awkward situation with Damon? Well then, congratulations to him.

"Let go of me." She groaned as Stefan tried to pick her up and he stepped back immediately. Her head is spinning but she is still mad at him. She doesn't even want to see him. At least not tonight. She gets on her feet and she almost fell down but Damon caught her.

"Easy there, can you walk?"

"Yes." She said in an unflinching tone and she didn't know why her anger is directed at Damon as well, maybe the fact that he let her breathe his scent in and she now has it all over her body. She pushed the thought off her mind and started walking towards her house.

"I am coming with you." Stefan said and she didn't turn to look at him.

"No." She murmured.

"You need aspirin." Damon said and she rolled her eyes.

"I know my house by heart."

"Okay then, good night." Damon said and she huffed. This is totally not how she wanted her night to end but Stefan is so lovely enough to show up right now. He has a lot of explanation to do tomorrow.

..

_**Not exactly happy with this chapter but a road trip is coming up next chapter. Woo hoo.**_

_**And yes, I decided to keep Stefan at mystic falls and leave them alone. I got a guest review that pleaded for it and I am happy to let that happen. ;)**_

_**See you in chapter 4.**_

_**Please review. Pretty please. **_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Oh lord! **She groans as the sun hits her face. What the hell is going on? Where is she? And it all comes back floating to her brain, Damon and her at the grill, drinking, playing pool, Caroline and Bonnie arrives, the little prank with Caroline and Tyler, Damon driving her home and Stefan coming back. She groans loudly.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead." She heard a husky voice said and she pulled her blanket up her face. The sun is blinding her, why are they doing this?

"Go away." she mutters as she hear him chuckle again. This time around he ripped the blanket off her and she groaned in frustration. "Whether this is the eldest or youngest Salvatore, I am going to kill you."

"You are hangover."

"State the obvious." She said sarcastically as she swung her legs down and drags herself off the bed. She almost fell down as whoever it is caught her and she knew right away who it is. "Before you ask, I didn't take the aspirin yesterday. I almost passed out on the couch and I know you'll be here first thing in the morning."

"You are right." He mumbles as he moved her but she didn't know to where, when she feels cold water hit her face she screeched.

"What the hell?" she shouted at him as she hears his laugh echoes in the bathroom. "Damon, this isn't funny."

"So you know who it was." He said as he watched her intently as she opened her eyes and starts wiping the water off her face.

"I know you jackass, how couldn't I?" she shouted as she pushed at his shoulder and he stumbles back. "Don't ever do that again." she said and he nods sincerely. "Now if you can excuse me?"

"What if I can't?" he said playfully taking a step towards her and she giggles lightly as the back of her hand flew to her forehead, still feeling the pain.

"You are dating my brother jackass and I am dating your brother." She said as she puts her hand on his chest and starts pushing him back. "Nothing is ever going to happen here, no matter how hot you find me or how hot I find you." She pokes his chest with her index finger as she said the last word and his brows flew up. He knows the damn alcohol is still messing with her head but her words surprised him. Not to forget that he was thinking of her the whole night after they spent almost all the week together and his brother showed up out of nowhere yesterday night.

"You think I am hot."

"I am so not having this conversation with you but I am **not **blind Damon." She said lightly. "Even if you tried to turn me like three minutes ago." She smirked and he laughs wholeheartedly. Elena has become more open to him in the past few days and he is starting to notice a part of her he didn't know she had it in her before. A few weeks back, the only exchange between him and Elena is 'hey' 'how are you' but they have a decent conversation whenever they are left alone in town.

"Hey, your boyfriend is waiting downstairs." He smirked at her and she frowns. "And just so you know, we are hitting the road in an hour."

"What?"

"Yes."

"But-" she starts but he cuts her off.

"Stefan says he is not coming, maybe you should talk to him."

"I am mad at your brother, Damon." She shakes her head. "He is being a first rate jackass and why didn't he come up here and wake me up?"

"Because he knows you are mad at him."

"Good." She muttered and Damon clears his throat.

"Come on get that alcohol smell off your body and come out." He smirked and Elena rolled her eyes as she showers properly and comes out. When she came out, she saw a glass of water and aspirin on her night stand and she was about to smile because she suspected it was Damon that brought it but she heard Stefan clears his throat and she frowns and turned around.

"What are you doing here?" she asked and he shrugs. "Did you bring this?" she asked and he nods. She nods in response too, totally unexpected.

"Damon said you'll need it." oh god, this is so fucked up.

"Yes, I would. Thank you." She said the last part with a fake smile; practically telling him to get the fuck out but he just doesn't get it.

"I am sorry."

"Okay." She nods.

"Okay?" he said in surprise and she nods.

"Yes." And she meant it. For some reason, they don't stay mad at each other for so long because the energy and passion of fighting each other is missing in their relationship. It is like they are both afraid the relationship is going to break if they fight or anything but yes, their relationship is **that **fragile.

"I love you." He said as he reached over to hug her and she hugs him back smiling.

"I love you too." she said the words out loud and everything is back to normal. Her boyfriend is back, she is going on a road trip with his brother today who happens to be her sister's boyfriend and when they come back, everything will be back to normal, to the way they are before she unwraps a new part of Damon she didn't know he had before and a shiver went down her spine as she thought of it. She pulled back from the hug and told him she wants to get ready and he smiled as he let her go.

After she got ready, she walked up to the Salvatore's with her large hand bag that she snuck in a pair of clothes because she hates staying with one pair of clothes in her body for a whole day. She would find a bathroom to change or change in Katherine's dorm room.

"Hello?" she called out and Stefan comes out grinning at her as she dropped her bag on the couch and Stefan kissed her. She moaned as he kissed her and she kissed him back eagerly because she feels like she is releasing something. Something that is neither anger nor frustration but she needed it out of her system because it is dangerous and messing with her head.

She didn't even know they have stumbled on the couch until she felt her back being pressed on the soft cushion and then they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. "Really guys?" Damon groaned. "Get a room, we have like 6 in this house." He mutters and Elena blushed crimson as she straightened her shirt and Damon walks away. Damon said what he said in a joking manner but why does he look like someone had slapped him across the face?

"You sure you don't wanna come?" Elena said softly at Stefan as she swings her arms around his neck and he smiled as he moved closer to her.

"Except we are spending the night at a motel." He winked as she slapped his chest and moved away from him, he kissed her one more time and Stefan groans as Damon honked and Elena waved him goodbye.

"I thought you guys were fighting?" Damon said as they drive past the sign of farewell from mystic falls and she shrugs. Nobody has said anything to one another until now.

She slumped in her seat and shakes her head as she turned to look at him "I thought I was too." she sighed. "I just hate fighting with him because what we I am afraid we are going to lose each other because what we have is-" the words stuck in her throat because she wasn't sure if she wants Damon to be the first on to know about the condition of her relationship with Stefan. To everybody, they were the perfect couple and Damon loves his brother to death but he wouldn't miss a chance to taunt him.

"Fragile?" he asked and her head snapped back to him as she looked at him as he held the steering wheel with one hand and the other on his window.

She nods silently "Yes." She said and he nods as he looked at her apologetically and she smiled softly "Do you ever feel like that with Katherine?" she asked and she surprised herself. Is she really discussing relationships with Damon? And Katherine is going to kill her if she knows she is poking her nose in her relationship with Damon. "I don't mean to pry or anything." She said shrugging and Damon chuckled.

"A lot of things are not felt between me and Katherine." He said and she turned back looking at him, surprise at what he is saying "Sure, we feel the love when we are in **the **mood. But mostly, it is about releasing what you are feeling."

"Release." She repeats as he nods and she moved back into her train of thoughts but a few seconds later she turns to him again "like making out with someone or you know, until you feel like you are not feeling the anger or frustration you are feeling before?"

He nod as he turns to look at her for the first time "Exactly, so you feel it with Stefan?" he asked and her mouth fell open a little but she shakes her head.

"No." She lied. "I read it somewhere" she said and Damon looks like he didn't agree with her so she rolled her eyes "okay, top secret Caroline told me she feels it but-"

"There is no way Caroline will feel that with Tyler, they are so in love with each other." He said and Elena's face turned into a poker face and she looks ahead.

"Well, I don't know you feel that with Katherine, you just told me now."

"Elena, there are many things between me and Katherine that happens and nobody knows because we love each other but at the same time, we are using each other for that 'feeling discharge'."

"But why?" Elena whispered "Why would anyone do that?"

He simply laughed and shakes his head "Just drop it Elena." He said "We have said enough of things we shouldn't have." He said and she frowns at him at the way he shoots her down. He was clearly upset about something and he is trying to vent his anger on her.

"Are you fighting with Stefan?"

"God, Elena?" Damon said annoyed and Elena held up her hands in surrender as she moved back into her seat and rests her head on the headrest.

"Told you, should have left me at home." She muttered and Damon laughed sarcastically.

"So you would make out with Stefan all day and practically rip his heart out by your anger discharge? No thanks, I still love my brother." He smirked and she groaned.

"There is nothing like that between me and Stefan."

"Denial is a name of a river in Africa." He responded and she shook her head irately.

"Listen to me Damon," she snapped "You are mad about something but you know nothing, I repeat- nothing about my relationship with Stefan." She said intently and she saw Damon's smirk dropped off his face "So stop making assumptions." She said and he simply shrugged as he hummed to a random music and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He looks unaffected by what she said and she felt bad about it because she respects him so much but all his assumptions on her relationship turns out to be true and she hates it when someone is able to read her like that.

"I am sorry." She said waving her hand in dismissal. "I was angry and-"

"She said she is not in denial" Damon smirked as he looked over to her.

"Can we just drop it like you said?" she rolled her eyes and he shrugged.

"Sure." He mumbled "anything you say."

..

Their first stop at a gas station was three hours back and when they stopped, they have been driving for an hour which means they still have an hour left for them. They bought lunch and Elena thanked Damon for it because she hadn't eaten any breakfast and she had a chronic ulcer, not that Damon knew anything about it but he knows that she gets sick. Except if Katherine has told him but she was pretty sure he didn't know because even Stefan knew she was only sick but he doesn't know she was diagnosed with ulcer.

"I am sorry." She said and Damon's brows shot up "I still feel bad for snapping at you, you were the only one that takes care of me and believe me I respect you like there is no tomorrow but- uh, you kinda infuriate me." She said blushing as she uses the word because the first time she had a real girl talk with Katherine, she told her that something must be hanging in the air if someone really infuriates you.

"Its okay, Elena." He smiled "I made you uncomfortable, maybe we shouldn't talk about our relationships like that. I am dating your sister and vice versa, it is not cool."

"Yeah but that is what friends do..." she said and Damon smiles softly at her "and friends don't lie to each other." She finished as she tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and roll down the window as she threw away her take out plate.

"So you were lying." He nods and she shrugs.

"Maybe."

"Okay."

The tension in the car could be cut with a knife and Elena gets uncomfortable as the minutes passed by and looked out of the window. She can see that Damon is not in the mood of talking as he taps his fingers nervously on the steering wheel and looked ahead with his jaw locked. She sighed in relief as they got into Duke and get to the university, she didn't say anything as Damon drove to the business department but she isn't surprised that he knows the place. This is not the first time she is coming and that occurs to Damon too.

His voice pulled her out of her trance as she heard him on the phone with Katherine and she could hear Katherine's excited squeal through the phone. She giggled lightly too at her sister's childish spirit but she frowned as Damon hung up and didn't even say a word to her.

Why did she agree to come with him again?

They sat for a few minutes and Elena gets uncomfortable so she opened the door and moved to the trunk. She hissed as she realised that it is the type of stupid cars that only the drivers gets to open the trunks from their side. She knocked on the trunk but Damon ignored her and she groaned as she walked briskly to the driver's side and pulled open his door. He looked at her and he couldn't hold back a laugh as he saw how furious she is and she shook her head and reached over to open the trunk.

"Come on Elena." He laughed.

"You are not funny, Damon."

"I thought I was." He said as he pulled out his phone and shoved it to her face. "Would you look at this?" he said and her face broke into a smile.

"This was from prom." She smiled. It was a picture of her and Damon laughing as they danced and immediately she remembered Klaus. That wretched asswipe. She has thought of talking to Damon about him but she is afraid of what Damon would do about it. Fuck it. "Hey Damon, you know I kinda danced with Klaus at the prom."

"Ugh, what did he say?" Damon said uninterested and Elena shakes her head. What she is about to say is going to get all his attention.

"He said that if" she paused and Damon cocked a brow as he stood straight urging her to continue "If I um-" she started but she was hugged from behind and she saw Damon rolling his eyes in annoyance as her sister interrupted them.

"Katherine!" Elena squealed as she turned around and hugged her back. Katherine released her and rushed to Damon, but instead of hugging him, she kissed him right on the lips and Elena fought back a groan. Why wouldn't she just hug him? **Because he is her boyfriend dumbo. **Dumbo, that is what she is. Is she jealous of Katherine's relationship? Definitely no, she used to be before Damon spilled the beans on their relationship a few hours back. What is she actually jealous of?

"I am so glad you are here." Katherine said as she takes Elena's hand and Elena smiled back at her sister. "Damon, I need to thank you properly for saving Elena's ass on prom. She would have gone with Jeremy, can you imagine that?" Katherine said as she mentioned Jeremy's name in disgust and both Damon and Elena frowns.

"Hey." Elena whined in protest.

"You don't have to be mean, Kat." Damon said and Katherine shrugged.

"Hello?" she said dramatically "opinions." Katherine said and Elena rolled her eyes as she pulled out her bag from the trunk and slid it under her arm. "Hey, let me see that." Katherine said as she snatched Damon's phone away from his hand. "Wow, Elena is that you?" Katherine laughed. "Do you have to look this gorgeous only when I am not in town **or **do you have to look this gorgeous because my beautiful boyfriend was your date and you want to actually match his looks?" Katherine winked and Damon felt awkward but Elena screeched.

"Katherine!" she exclaimed.

"Seriously? Bun hair?" Katherine clicked her tongue. "He has a fetish for long necks, and yours is not only long but sexy." Katherine whispered in Elena's ear and Elena blushed crimson but she was sure Damon did not hear them because he was a few steps behind them and Katherine was whispering.

"Stop!" that is what she could only get out.

"He is my boyfriend." Katherine said as she smacked the back of Elena's head and for a second Katherine looked serious and Elena starts feeling nervous.

"Believe me, I know that and it is not going to happen again." Elena said as Katherine sighed and she knew that Katherine is being insecure after what she said but Damon is not in the bucket list she has of people she wanna go out with or fuck.

..

**Late update and all, I know, I know. I am so, so, so, sorry. I have wanted to update but I was so busy with family and Eid.**

**Katherine may seem OOC but I am actually making her lovable although she have some insecurities and she gets insecure only after she said something and realise what could happen through that thing. I am thinking of making her blonde? What do you think?**

**And about the anger or feelings discharge, it happens to me sometimes and I think it would be cool to include it here and know that I am not the only one that it happens to.**

**You know the drill. Read and review. Please.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_I'd found heaven and grabbed it as tightly as I could,_

_But it was unravelling,_

_An insubstantial thread sliding between my fingers,_

_Too fine to hold._

_(Shiver- Maggie Stiefvater.)_

"I can't believe this." Elena muttered under her breath as she ran into the tiny motel room and Damon followed behind her chuckling.

"You better." He said and she turned around to glare at him.

"Why are you so cool about this?" she shouted. "Our- your car broke down, it is raining, this is my last pair of clothes and now I have to spend the night in some tempestuous motel room." She said as she threw her wet hair over her shoulder. "Not to mention with you." She muttered under her breath and she could see his face fell for a second before he shrugged and moved to the bed.

"Damon, don't sit on that bed with your wet clothes. We are going to sleep on that bed." She scolded and the words sound foreign in her mouth and she looked over to Damon and saw him wearing a dangerous and teasing smirk on his face. "Well, you are taking the couch. I would sleep on the bed."

"I paid for the room." Damon argued.

"Katherine would **hate **it if we share a bed." She said mischievously cocking a brow but Damon looks unaffected as he moved closer to her.

"You got a better idea?" he asked. "Tell me if you see a couch in here." She looked at the whole room and she cringed when she saw he is right. They would have to share the bed.

"Okay, who cares? We are sharing the bed." She said unaffected and Damon smiled as he saw her flipped her hair again and moved to the bed as she removed the other pair of clothes she wore in the afternoon. "Jesus, I hate this." she said wrinkling her nose "I hate repeating clothes without being washed."

"What are you, a neat freak?" he said as he arched a dark brow towards her and she shakes her head.

"Turn around."

"No can do." He said and she shrugged.

"Fine." She said ripping off her shirt and Damon stood there dumbfounded. He was **actually **relieved to know that she is wearing a camisole, wait a tight red camisole underneath.

"Are you really stripping in front of me?"

"You got a better idea?" she mocked and he rolled his eyes.

"Yes." He is not going to let her ruin him for the night. "Ever heard of the bathroom." He said and he chuckled as her shoulders slumped.

"Thanks, I totally forgot about that." she said as she picked up her bag and walked towards the bathroom.

"You can borrow my shirt if you want." He said and she turned to look at him with an unidentified expression on her face "and the SpongeBob pyjama pants."

She laughed at his expression as he mentioned his embarrassment "Yes please, thank you." She said and he walked over to his duffel bag and threw the shirt and pants at her. She wanted to yell at him for not telling her to pack any clothes but it is Damon, he always wins the argument.

She stepped in the shower and she moaned as the hot water hit her upper back. An hour after they left Duke, their car stopped in the middle of nowhere and nobody saw the storm coming. Some generous couple gave them a lift to the nearest remote town and Damon booked a room for them in the only motel there. She thanked god that there is not a single awkward moment between her and Damon and she wondered why. These moments are always there when she was with Stefan but why is she always so comfortable around his brother? A knock on the door startled her and she listened.

"Don't use all the hot water, someone here needs it too." Damon called out and she rolled her eyes as she ignored him and finished her bath. She stepped out of the shower and stared at the towels that were hanged. She had to use them because she doesn't have any choice and they look clean enough. Sighing, she dried her body with the towel and slipped Damon's black v-neck varvatos shirt over her head and put on the pyjama pants. She looked at the bathroom mirror and a laugh escaped her lip at how she looked. The shirt did not look that big on her and she realised that it is one of Damon's 'show me your abs' tight shirts. The v-neck complimented her collarbone well and the pyjama pants are her size because they a little too short for the owner.

She walked out of the bathroom hand brushing her hair and Damon stared at her with an open mouth. She rolled her eyes "don't even start." She said and Damon laughs.

"They look good on you." He said sincerely.

"Ha-ha thanks." She said sarcastically as she moved under the covers and Damon walked into the shower.

She has already drifted asleep when the sound of her phone startles her and she woke up with a frown. Her frown grew more confusing as she saw Damon staring right at her when she opened her eyes. Somehow he had gotten out of the shower and slid under the blankets while she is asleep. He turned around and put his hand under his head as she grabbed her phone. Oh god, how could she be so stupid! At least her boyfriend should know that she is being 'rain bound' with his creepy brother.

"Stefan." She murmured.

"**Elena, are you okay? Why aren't you back?"**

"I am sorry, I should have called you. Damon's car broke down and a storm came so we are spending the night at a motel."

"**What?"** Stefan shouted and she frowned.

"What, what?" she asked with a frown and she heard Damon shifting to his side of the bed.

"**You are spending the night with **_**Damon **_**at a motel?"**

"Yes so?"

"**I don't want it." **he said bluntly and Elena sat up. He is really getting on her nerves now.

"What is wrong with you?" she said silently.

"**No something is wrong with you for spending the night with Damon in a motel."**

"What is that supposed to mean? He is your brother?" she would have enjoyed this conversation more if the guilty party isn't right beside her.

"**Yes, who can't keep his hands off a girl." **Stefan said and Elena cringed at the thought.

"Okay, now you are just being mean." Elena snapped "If this is some sibling rivalry or fights going on between you two don't try to bring me in Stefan." She said firmly. "Damon is dating my sister and you shouldn't be saying this to me. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"**I don't know, Elena."** Stefan said. **"I just know that I don't like you spending time with Damon."**

"And you can't tell me what to do, Stefan." She said silently "I can hang out with whoever I want to."

"**Fine, I am sorry."**

"It is okay." She said "Good night, I am tired." She hung up and saw Damon staring at the ceiling deep in thought and she glares at him.

"Don't pretend like you don't know what is going on." She murmured as she puts her head back on the pillow and he chuckled as he turned to look at her.

"I know, I just don't think it is my place to talk. If Stefan wants to judge my friendship with you then he should." He shrugged and Elena swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Why is everything not easy between me and him? Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Because" he cleared his throat dramatically and she laughs softly "it is not easy to date someone like you Elena." He said and her brows flew up in confusion. "You are everything he is not. You are passionate, you are adventurous- when I said adventurous I don't mean going places like father dearest and Stefan always do. I mean you like observing new things even if you know it is not safe. And Stefan screams safe, I am not casting an evil eye on your relationship Elena, but I don't think your love for each other is that consuming and it doesn't last."

He said and for some reason she knows he is telling the truth and she is not mad at him. She wants honesty and Damon can be a dick but he is not a liar.

"To be honest," he continued "If I were Stefan and dating you, I would not like what is happening right now too." she looked up at him and he nods "because nobody would like his beautiful girlfriend spending the night with his devilishly handsome brother in some crappy motel." He said and a laugh escapes her throat.

"Is there a way to fix this?" Elena asked and Damon shakes his head.

"Honestly?" he asked and she nods. "I don't know Elena, but I'd do what makes me happy. It is the best way to stay with people."

"But he doesn't like what makes me happy." She shifted uncomfortably as she admits what she has being hiding to him. He looked surprise for a second but he smiled.

"I make you happy?" he asked and he knows it is an incredibly dangerous conversation to be having with his girlfriend's sister but he needed to know. If she feels the way she makes him feel.

"Yes." She murmured "I mean, I like hanging out with you. I have fun, I feel like myself. I have been trying so hard to find the girl I was before my parents' death but I couldn't. And-" she paused as she looked into his eyes "and you make me feel like her."

He was speechless. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say to this beautiful girl sprawled beside him with her wavy hair touching his cheek. When he stepped out of the bathroom and saw her asleep, he smiled to himself as he lay down beside her and watched her sleep. It was the most beautiful sight he has ever seen and he wanted to stay like that for the rest of the night but his brother has to make that call and interrupt his moment. It scared the shit out of him to know that he is having these kind of thoughts about his girlfriend's little sister who happens to be dating his brother but he couldn't help it. Her sister did not make him feel free and comfortable the way she does and he knows the same thing applies for her relationship with his brother.

But it has to stop. This infatuation or whatever it is has to stop. It is not fair to anyone. No one is going to end up happy.

He absentmindedly takes her hand in his and he squeezed it as she let out a little whimper. He leaned in closer to her as her eyes widened but she sighed inaudibly as his lips landed on her cheek. She opened her eyes and blushed as she smiled at him.

"I am happy to know that." he says sincerely and her lower belly clenched and suddenly it turns into a growl.

Ulcer what?

"Damon I am hungry." She said and she knows she is in serious dilemma if she didn't eat anything. She ate only two meals and she doesn't want to spend the rest of the week on a hospital bed.

"Elena?" he said with widened eyes.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me the truth." He looked at her intently and she nods "are you suffering from ulcer?" he asked and her eyes widened.

"Katherine told you?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

"No, I wouldn't be asking you if I knew. I saw all the signs, you get hungry easily and whenever that happens you clutch your chest which means you are having heartburn and I can't count the number of times you say you are feeling nauseous over the week."

"Ha-ha, you caught me." She said dryly and he huffs.

"Damn it, Elena."

"What are you, a doctor now?" she asked annoyed at his sudden change of behaviour and he rolled his eyes.

"No, I am trying to make sure you stay alive." He said as he picked up the landline on the nightstand.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling room service obviously." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"This is not a five star hotel, there is no room service." She said and he ignored her "this is exactly why I didn't want to tell anyone, not even Stefan."

"Well, I am hurt that you think I am an idiot or I am as stupid as my brother." He spat and she shakes her head and kept quiet. She heard him talk to someone on the phone and she was surprised to know that there is someone who can bring them food in the middle of the night.

"Next time" he said as he plopped on the pillow "we are going to a five star hotel on our road trip." He winked and she laughs "remind me to wear a bulletproof though because Stefan would kill me the minute I went back home."

"Geez right." She rolled her eyes and cut their conversations short as hunger burnt in her stomach. She jumped up when the door opened and a guy strolled in with her food. She frowns at the way the guy looked at her and smirked at Damon.

"Pretty girl, enjoy your meal." The guy said and Elena blushed in embarrassment as Damon looked like he was going to strangle the guy.

"Yeah, I wouldn't spend two minutes with him in a room." She murmured and Damon laughed out loud. "What a creep." She muttered as she scrunched up her nose as she looked at the food but it isn't that bad.

She bit on the burger and she moaned as she turned to Damon with her mouthful and tossed the burger at him but he shakes his head. She simply shrugged and continued eating her meal. When she is done, she grabbed the coke but Damon snatched it away from her hand.

"Not healthy sweetie." He murmured and she frowned. "Yeah that face is not gonna work on me. No gassy foods whenever you are near me and you are banned from alcohol."

"Yeah right." She said sarcastically and he puts on his best serious face and used his finger to turn her face around and stared into her eyes.

"I am serious." and she saw it. This over protectiveness is starting to get on her nerves but she likes it. Nobody bosses her around like this because they care about her.

"Okay." She said and he smiled. "How do you know about all this anyways?" she asked and he shrugged.

"Ulcer killed my mother." Well shit. His eyes turned red and she regretted asking the question. She pushed away the food and squeezed his hand as he smiled softly at her.

"I didn't know." She totally gets where his bossing around came from. He is not ready to lose someone he cares about to ulcer again and she is going to let him boss her around if it makes him happy.

Why is she going so far trying to make him happy? Is it because he makes her happy? It is only fair to make him feel the way she feels right?

"Damon, about the passion and adventure thing you said." She asked and he urges her to continue with a nod. "Do you have it with Katherine?" she asked and his face fell. She frowns as he pulled the blankets closer to him.

"I am sleepy Elena." He said. "I have to take you back to your jealous boyfriend in the morning." He jokes dryly and she huffed.

"Damon, don't be an ass. I practically told you things I never told Caroline, it is only fair if you tell me yours." She pushed. "That is what friends do?"

"Remind me when we have an agreement that I would tell you my life story if you tell me yours?" he said dramatically and she huffs as she shakes her head.

"You know what, you are an ass and next time if I want to talk I would rather put a stone in front of me and talk to it." she snapped as she pulled the blanket up to her head and turned her back at him.

The next morning, she woke up to find her clothes on the edge of the bed washed and dried up and she guessed Damon has everything to do with it but she doesn't care, she is still mad at him. He thinks he can listen to all her secrets, tell her sweet words but he couldn't tell her what is happening in his relationship? That is a dick move, she found comfort in him more than she finds in her girl friends and she tells him everything but friendship would not work if he wouldn't tell her what is going on in his life.

"Good morning sleepyhead." She heard his voice as he came in the room with a paper cup in his hand and a bag which she guessed is breakfast. She stood up and walked briskly past him into the bathroom and she heard him chuckled as she bumped her shoulder into his.

After her shower she takes the breakfast and ate as Damon plays angry birds on his iPhone and the screeches of the stupid angry birds only makes her angrier at him. She took her bag and puts the rest of her clothes in it as she called Katherine and told her what happened after they left. She heard Katherine's silent voice on the other end of the line but it disappeared within seconds. Damon is right, everyone would get a strange vibe with them spending the night together but they have to know that there is absolutely nothing going on there.

As she hung up, she notices a missed call from Bonnie that has been on call waiting when she was on the phone with Katherine, she was about to press dial when her phone starts ringing again.

"Hello?"

"Elena, Jeremy has been in an accident and he wouldn't wake up."

"No." She whispered in a silent voice as Damon's questionable eyes turned to look at her and she didn't know when a tear dropped from her eyes. Why did she feel so connected to him?

"He is in a coma, Elena." Bonnie's voice rang through her ear again.

**..**

**Cliff-hanger. O.o**

**Elena is kind of so matured for her own age in the show and I am trying to make her less matured, adorable and a little annoying here. :P **

**Thank you all for the reviews, I really appreciate. Thank you MovingOnIsNeverEasy for your review, I appreciate it and I like the prologue of her new story 'Blind date'. Check it out. **

**Reviews are love. xx**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_And around those I am beholden to a dirge loudest sound,_

_When feelings profound known to me but none other resound in my heart,_

_And beat like vigorous thunder,_

_Unheard by those who have need of it most._

**(AN: I couldn't resist putting on this poem, it fits with this chapter so much.)**

"Jeremy has been in an accident." Elena told Damon and his mouth hanged open as he stepped off the bed and starts gathering their things.

"Oh god, how did it happen?" Damon asked and Elena shakes her head as she fought back tears. She doesn't want Damon to think that she is weird, crying over Jeremy. The little mental guy she barely knows.

"I don't know." Her voice cracked. "Bonnie told me, I should be there right?"

"Of course, we are going now." Damon smiled softly at her "if not anything, you are the only person he genuinely trusts in mystic falls." He said in a calming voice, she looks at him curiously before he rolls his eyes and gesturing for her to follow him. He knows she is still mad and she is letting their argument slide till all this is over.

After a long and non awkward silence drive, they finally reached mystic falls and Damon drove them to the hospital immediately. She saw Bonnie rushed to her in a split second and Elena looks confused. Is she missing something between Bonnie and Jeremy? Surely she knew Bonnie is one of those people that doesn't find Jeremy weird and are actually nice to him but she didn't understand where Bonnie's worry is coming from.

"You said he is not waking up?" Elena asked Bonnie again after they sat down in the hallway together. Since the day they met at the grill, Elena hadn't spoken to Bonnie. To be honest, Bonnie is caring and loving but she can be bossy at times and Elena hates it when someone bosses her around. Except for a certain someone. She shakes her head as she realised that her thoughts are slowly drifting back to the blue eyed Salvatore when she should be thinking about Jeremy.

"Yeah, Tyler brought him here. We came a few hours back." Bonnie said "Tyler had to fight with the doctors; they said they need his family and when Tyler said **he **is his family the doctors think he was the one that ran over Jeremy with a car."

"What a fucktard." Elena said and Bonnie stares at her pointedly and Elena wheezes while rolling her eyes. "Here it comes."

"You have been hanging out with Damon **a lot**." Bonnie said and Elena raises her eyebrows as she strokes the mug in her hand and finally turned to look at Bonnie.

"State the obvious." Elena said sarcastically. She doesn't want to get into a fight with Bonnie but she is getting on her nerves by the second.

"You never swear." Bonnie said testing Elena's patience as Elena bit her lip to stop another snide remark from escaping.

"Did Katherine ask you to watch over me while she is away?"

"What, no. It is just that you and Damon are-"

"Me and Damon." Elena huffs "that seems to be quite a topic of discussion doesn't it?" Elena whispered angrily. "Listen to me Bonnie, you are my friend but I am not going to sit here and watch you judge my friendship with Damon just like you judge everyone else's life." Elena said as she gets up from the seat "How about we talk about **you and Jamie **or **you and Jeremy**?" Elena said as she pressed her words in an unflinching tone "at least don't be a hypocrite if you want to be a judgemental little bitch."

Elena turns around and walked away. She felt a tug in her heart at the way she snapped at her friend but Bonnie deserved it. When Caroline broke up with Matt and starts going out with Tyler, Bonnie stops talking to Caroline because apparently she believes that Caroline ditched their childhood friend to be with the mayor's son. Caroline explained how she never loved Matt and Tyler was the one for her but Bonnie never backed off until recently that Tyler called her out himself.

She walked outside to the hospital surroundings and she saw Damon and Stefan leaning against Damon's car. She walked to them and immediately Stefan launches himself at her and kissed her deeply. Elena knew the kiss was like a warning or reminder that Stefan was giving to Damon that she is his and she feels so low at the thought so she pulled back with a smile.

"You look-" Damon starts from behind and he kept quite when her eyes looked over to him. He is looking just as tired as she was looking but the way he looks at her made her crumble underneath his stare. She couldn't move her eyes away as he continued to gaze at her open mouthed. He gestured his hand to his eyes and she put her fingers to the corner of her eyes and she felt the place was wet.

She vaguely saw Stefan looking at them with rage in his eyes but she could care less about his conflicting mind. Her mind couldn't grasp the reason why the wetness was there in her eyes. Has a tear escaped from her eyes during her fight with Bonnie? Definitely no, that wouldn't be one of the things she would cry for. She is definitely not going to let Bonnie use her as a punching bag the way she used Caroline. She guessed the tear must have escaped when she thought Stefan was abusing her innocence just to tell his brother to back off on her. Damn it!

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked and she cringed inwardly at his voice. She couldn't deal with him right now. He made her feel like a possession or some toy. If anything was going on between him and Damon, it should stay between them. Why would he want to drag her into it?

"Peachy." She spats through clenched teeth as she walked to Damon's car and sat in the passenger's seat. She doesn't care if Stefan came for her; she just knew that she is not staying near him for the next few hours otherwise she would do something she would regret.

As she rests her head on the head rest and closes her eyes, every emotions came rushing back to her. The drive from Duke was simple, she didn't think of anything but now that she is back to her real life. Everyone is being their normal selves, Bonnie being the judgemental little bitch she is and Stefan being the jerk he is. This time around, he crossed the limits the way his lips caught hers roughly and she was sure he kept his eyes open while kissing her. She sniffed to fight back tears and at the moment the driver's door opened and she doesn't need to hear his voice to know that it is him.

His sweet scent enveloped her and she wanted nothing more than to be locked in an embrace with him right now. She wants to let her guard down, sob on his shoulder and she wants him to tell her that everything is going to be okay as he whispers soothing words to her. She realised for the first time that what she just thought was among the things she wants in a man and she is definitely not going to get that with Stefan.

Even when her parents died, Stefan thought she needed space – which she really needed but that doesn't mean she wants him to disappear and not hold her while she cries. She was thankful as Damon starts the car and drove towards their house. Their drive back from the trip was not awkward because they were ignoring each other but right now the car is filled with unspecified tension that could be cut with a knife.

As the car comes to a halt, she opened her eyes and blinked twice to adjust her vision before stepping out. Unlike the other day, Damon has the trunk opened for her before she even asks. She picked up her bag and walked inside the house briskly. The way she walked away from Damon was totally rude; he didn't do anything to her. If anything, he is the only good thing in all this. She is mad at him too for letting her pour her heart out to him but still she has to apologise. She puts her face in her palms as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Snapping at Bonnie is one of the fights she has ever stood up for herself but that doesn't change the fact that Bonnie is her friend.

Why is it like everything is planned in her life? Not planned in a good way but in a really, really, really bad way. She just wants to lock herself in her room and stay in till the rage she is feeling in her chest cools down but she can't. There is Jeremy, he is in a coma that only god knows how much it is going to last. There is her boyfriend, who she is incredibly mad at but she knows the next time she sees him and he apologised, she wouldn't push the fight. She would just let it slide and that made her **incredibly **mad at herself. Sure, her relationship with Stefan is so fragile but that doesn't mean she shouldn't fight for her rights in a relationship.

It is just that she's never dated anyone before and Stefan can be a good man when he wants to be but she is still afraid of the aftermath if she breaks up with him. What if she meets someone that is like her, someone that would push a fight to the point where they would break up? What if she meets someone that clings to her even when she doesn't want them to? What if she meets someone as passionate as her that they would both end up unwell if they go through a problem?

And then, there is Damon. He is everything she wants and nothing she needs. Fuck it, she needs him too. She needs him near her but Damon is not healthy for her. Even if there was a chance of a relationship with her and Damon, she would be scared to get into that trap because it wouldn't be easy to get out. It would be addictive and drawing. It would be dangerous and passionate to be with someone who can read you like a book. She always wondered how Katherine manages to be in a relationship with Damon when almost every girl in town has her eyes on him.

She wouldn't be able to handle people looking at her boyfriend that way. Not to mention that Damon was a rebel in his teenage years. No parent wants to see Damon's bike or car parked in front of their house because she wouldn't come back walking straight. She would be drunk and every parent knows what happens when a teenager gets drunk. The worst part is that he never dated any of these girls and it was quite a surprise that they have been in a relationship with Katherine for so long.

She sighed and removed her hand from her face and ran her fingers back to her hair. She blinks once again as she saw stars in her eyes for pressing it for long minutes. What she didn't expect to see was deep blue ocean eyes staring back at her. she was startled to see him there at first but as she took him in, as he stands against her dressing mirror with his hands crossed over his chest and his left foot tucked behind him as he stands on one foot, his messy hair all over his forehead she realises how she is starting to notice how attractive he was and it scares the shit out of her. She shouldn't be having these thoughts about her sister's boyfriend. She reluctantly glanced away from him as she played with her fingers and clears her throat.

"I am sorry." She said "I was upset, I shouldn't have walked away like that without saying anything."

"Don't worry." He said "you left your phone in the car. Tyler called; the doctors in this town are shitheads."

"Why?"

"Jeremy woke up. Why would they think he is in a coma when he hasn't gone a day in that state?" He said and Elena was already on her feet. She agreed the doctors are shitheads but she could care less about them. "He is kinda in a scary state though, not scary- scary" Damon said as he saw Elena's expression registered frightened "he is no more- you know?" she urge at him with her eyes to continue "he is no more mental, crazy."

"What?" she whispers in disbelief as she launches herself at him and Damon hugs her back still in awe and surprised of how she cares for Jeremy. "Oh my god, is it even possible?"

"God makes everything possible." Damon said softly as she pulls back.

"I didn't know you were a believer." She said punching his chest lightly her bad mood disappearing suddenly and Damon smirks at her.

"There are a whole **lot **you don't know about me."

"You are right." She said as she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and puts on a facade as she remembers how he refused to answer her question in the motel. "Shall we?"

She said and she knows that Damon has noticed the change in her attitude as he rolled his eyes and pulled her arm and she stumbles back towards him "I am sorry okay?" he apologised too "I am not saying that I would tell you anything that is going on between me and Katherine. But you have to let it go Elena. If I let myself say what you are asking me to say, then that would be it for me and Katherine." He said and when he saw her blink rapidly he knows that he has got her.

It is true, if he lets himself admit to Elena that he is no longer attracted to Katherine then he knows he will get to the part where he would tell her that what he feels for Katherine is not **remotely **close to what he feels for her. He knows that even if Elena would not say anything about what he said, a lot of people are going to be hurt in the process. One, he would end up having neither Elena nor Katherine. Two, Katherine would end up hurt and feeling betrayed by her sister. Three, Elena would feel guilty about Damon being attracted to her and she would regret everything that happens in the past week. Four, Stefan would lose Elena. That is just downright harsh for everyone and these are the people he cares about the most in his life.

As Elena nods and pulled back, they walked outside silently to his car and Damon stole a glance at Elena. The first time he knew he was attracted to her was when they stopped at the gas station yesterday. She was sleeping when they arrived and her hair was all over the place. He didn't know what made him push her hair away which leaves him the sight of her bare neck. Her long neck was bare and her olive skin looks so fresh as he noticed the little lines on her neck which he finds attractive. He saw her chest heaves up and down as she breathes evenly and he had to clench his hands into fist before he does something he would regret.

He felt disgusted for having these types of thoughts on her. She is practically his little sister, his baby brother is dating her and he is dating her elder sister. This is totally inappropriate even for someone like him.

"Damon." Her voice pulled him back to reality as he turned around to look at her "Are we cool?" she asks silently and he cocked a brow as he nods "then why the silence? We don't do this you know?"

"You are right, I am just lost in thoughts." He smiled. "Sorry."

They talked lightly as they reached the hospital. Elena was thankful that Bonnie isn't there because she doesn't want to deal with her right there. When they reached the hospital the doctors stop them from going inside the room and Damon chuckled as Elena fumed. It is kind of adorable how Elena worries about Jeremy when they had barely known each other for two years.

After minutes of wait and with Tyler's consent, Elena was let in and Damon looked at them through the window. Elena rushed to hug Jeremy as Jeremy gave a matured smile that he never does before and Damon knows that it wasn't a lie, Jeremy has recovered from his mental problem. It was good to see him like that with Elena and they truly looked like a family as Elena kissed his forehead.

"You are going to have to eat." Elena scolded as she brought the spoon up to Jeremy's mouth and he shakes his head. "Come on, you don't want me to be mad at you do you?"

"Elena, I am not crazy anymore." He said and Tyler laughs as Elena glares at the both of them.

"Jeremy, we are going to talk when you are fully recovered." Tyler said and Elena nods in agreement. "You have to tell us about your family and how you ended up sick because the doctors said your brain problem wasn't even three years old. You have to tell us how you mysteriously ended up in Mystic Falls."

Jeremy looked between them as his eyes stayed on Elena for a long moment and Elena felt weird under his stare, when he was sick it would be normal for her to have him staring at her questionably but right now it feels weird.

"Okay, I would tell you." He said with a smile and they both smiled as Elena reached and hugs him gently.

"I was scared." She said "I am glad you are okay, and I am glad you don't wanna be John Doe for any longer." She said as she pulls back and they all laughed.

**..**

**Yayy, Jeremy has recovered. Trust me, he isn't a weak character. He has his own scope but we wouldn't be looking at it in the next chapter.**

**Elena and Damon has finally came to a realisation of their feelings but I feel like I have pushed it considering they have been hanging out for only a few weeks but right now, they also think that it is physical attraction and nothing more.**

**Time jump in the next chapter I think.**

**So I have this idea of a story. It is AU but not human, what if Damon had died when he took an arrow in the back for Elena but it happen a little bit later, like into season three on the show. But we all know he wouldn't be dead-dead. Tell me what you think about it. I want to write it in a first person POV.**

**Glad Elena showed Bonnie her way? I am too. **

**Thanks for reading.**

**Twitter: SmileForDE**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**AN: Elena and Katherine are Pierce's. I forgot to mention. Thank you, **_**1 DELENA fan. **_**I haven't seen you here in months and I am glad to know that you are still here, your review made me happy.**

**The next time I am writing, I would try to thank my reviewers because I always type offline. I appreciate each and every follow, favourite and review. xx**

Parking her car in the driveway, Elena grinned and took her graduation hat from the passenger's seat. She put it on her head and glanced at herself in the rear-view mirror before she ran out of the car. Katherine has been here for her graduation but he drove back to Duke the minute it ended! Elena had wanted her to stay so they could celebrate but she said she couldn't. She had tests, which made Elena a little sad but she was still happy that Katherine dropped everything to be there and hugged her when it was over. Katherine kissed both her cheeks twice telling her how proud she is and that their parents will be very proud of her which made Elena tear up a little.

Stefan was not there for her graduation; his father and he were out of town again! This time they won't be staying for so long and they have been away for two days. Elena has always known that she wasn't Giuseppe's favourite Pierce but the least he could do is let her boyfriend be with her on her graduation. Damon on the other hand was working for his father too and he couldn't be there but he promised to go if he finished soon. When she didn't see him, she know he hasn't finish but right now as she saw his car parked at the driveway, her smile grew and instead of going into her house she ran to the Salvatore's.

"Damon!" she shouted as she burst in through the doors. "Hello, come out here I am a graduate." She squealed unable to hide the happiness in her voice. She knew Damon's room was downstairs and Stefan's was located upstairs. She was surprised when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Damon!" she squealed. "Come on." She said as she moved in a little and she saw Damon coming out of his room and Stefan coming downstairs. She swallowed as she didn't know where to go first. She badly wanted to run to Damon and hug him. After all, she came here shouting in his name. Her thoughts were cut short when she felt arms wrapped around her and closed her eyes knowing Stefan has made the decision for her when he moved to hug her. She opened her eyes and she saw Damon's fists clenched at his sides. He was angry and she knows he is fighting too hard to contain his rage.

"Congratulations." Stefan said and she tuned to look at him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She didn't know what is wrong with her. She should be happy that her **boyfriend **is here but the thing is that she let Damon make her happy and she couldn't seem to find happiness when she isn't with him. Their little fight last week had slide and they have became friends again and just like every other day, she forgave Stefan too the minute she saw him. It was kind of tiring to be in a relationship like that but she doesn't know what to do. She is in desperate need of some girl talk. Earlier in the day, Bonnie and her had hugged each other but nothing more. They are not back to being friends the way they were so she is just going to call Caroline. They could spend the whole weekend together before summer starts.

"Thank you." She smiled and he set his lips on her. After a few seconds, he pulled back and she looked over to where Damon was standing to find him gone. She sighed inaudibly as Stefan takes her hand and tries to move her upstairs but she stopped. "I have to see Damon." She said and he looked at her with his judgy eyes and she fought back the urge to roll her eyes "Katherine left me a message to give him." She lied and he nods as he walked upstairs and she made her way to Damon's room. She knocked and he didn't answer on the first knock but he did when she knocked again.

"Hey." She smiled as she saw him lying on his bed with his left arm under his head and he props up on his elbow so he could see her.

"You didn't have to lie to come and see me." he smirked but Elena could see that there is a hidden emotion on his face but he tries to hide it as she sighs and removed the graduation hat and threw it on his bed. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I was waiting for you to say that."

"Really?" he asks and she nods. "Good." He mumbled and she rolls her eyes.

"Why didn't you come out when I called you at first?" she asked, the fact that she came in with the intention to hug Damon and Stefan cuts her moments low still burns her heart and she wants to know why Damon helped Stefan in doing that.

"I wasn't in my room." He said "I was in the study when I heard hushed sounds and before I made my way over there, Stefan was already with you." She nods silently as they both keep quiet for some seconds before Damon whispered "You are the only person that could make a graduation gown look like that though."

She blushed as she turned to look at him fully "Like what?"

"Gorgeous, sizzling, astonishing..." he said and she closed her eyes as she picked up a throw pillow and threw it at him.

"Stop it, Damon."

"What, it is the truth." He said sincerely and she shrugs.

"It shouldn't be coming from you." **Because it does bad things to my thoughts. **She concluded inwardly as he rolled his eyes and nods. "What is up with you and Stefan, you guys have grown sooo distant lately." She said pressing the word 'so' and Damon looks at her for a split second before his face scrunched up into a disapproving look and she knew there is something there. "Come on Damon, I deserve to know." She pressed "I am your friend, and friendship doesn't work that way." She said as she folded her arms against her chest and moves to lean against the nightstand and Damon moves up to a sitting position.

"We **finally **had a fight 3 days ago." Damon clears his throat as he speaks.

"What do you mean finally?"

"I mean, Stefan has wanted to fight with me for so long and it is causing an unbelievable tension between me and him so I decided to push him that day." He was packing for their little trip with father dearest and I walked to his room and asked him not to go with him and he said why? I replied 'because your girlfriend is graduating in three days and she needs you here, moron." Damon said and kept quiet but Elena was curious for what Stefan said to Damon and from the look on Damon's face he didn't want to say it.

"What did he say?" she whispered and Damon stared at her for too long but he didn't say anything. "Damn it, Damon. Tell me." she shouted.

"Elena, I am sorry." Damon said as he stands up and looked at her in the eye. "Ask Stefan yourself, I don't know what I would be if I am the one to tell you something that is going to break you." Damon said as he strokes her cheek and walked into his bathroom. She huffed as she removed the god damn graduation gown that is trying to suffocate her and placed it on top of Damon's dresser.

"Stefan!" Elena shouted as she barged into his room and Stefan looked up at her bewildered, from the place he was writing in his diary. "What happened between you and Damon that day? What did you say to him?" Elena asked and Stefan looked scared for a moment before he feigned innocence.

"What day?"

"Oh you know, the day when he told you that I need you on my graduation day, what was your reply?"

"I was angry." He said as he moved to her looking at his feet and she huffed in annoyance as she threw her hands up in the air. She couldn't believe that these brothers are messing with her mind and none of them is willing to tell her the truth.

"That was your reply?" she asked firmly even though it was rather a rhetorical question because that wasn't his reply.

"No, Elena I am sorry." He said and she shakes her head.

"Funny" she said as she let her hands fall to her side and tears well up in her eyes "that is what your brother said too. But for the **mean **time, I am done here Stefan. Consider us done." The thing she has been afraid of came out of her mouth. She didn't expect herself to make this decision anytime soon but right now as she said the words, she feels like a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders and she turned around to leave the room. She still couldn't help the tears that fall from her eyes. Her and Stefan are not the epic couple after all.

"I told him it is okay since he is here and you are dating him too." Stefan said and she stopped dead in her tracks. Had he been suspecting her to be having an affair with Damon all that time? She closed her eyes tightly as a sob escaped her lips and she used the sleeves of her dress to wipe the tears from her face. Damon is dating her sister, even if she is going to hurt anyone, she wouldn't do that to her sister. "He punched me and told me what an ungrateful little piece of shit I am and I believed him Elena, I am sorry. I know you aren't like-" he didn't get to finish as Elena rushed to him and slapped him hard across the face.

"I am done with you, Stefan." Elena said as she ran out of the house not sparing a last glance at either of them. Her graduation gown and hat long forgotten.

The fact that Stefan has been suspecting her to be having an affair with Damon all this time is shallow thought and no matter what, she never thought Stefan is going to think of her that way. Sure, she is attracted to Damon and there were times when she knew she would have give in to whatever she is feeling but the moment she thinks of her sister she decides it is not worth it. Damon has admitted that Katherine and him have their own problems and that they are not the 'it' couple everyone thought of them to be, but it is still unfair to all of them. When she thought of it even today before Katherine left, she knows she will go any length to avoid hurting Katherine especially after everything that Katherine has done to her today.

..

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert._

Damon entered the Gilbert's household and the silence welcomed him. He entered the living room and saw how untidy it is. That is not Elena; she is always neat and elegant. He knows she is going through a hard time and he heard her run out of their house. The minute she ran out, he moved to Stefan's bedroom and saw Stefan with his face in his hands.

"I am sorry." Damon told him and Stefan didn't look up to acknowledge him. Okay, he deserved that. He broke them up. "Stefan, I didn't mean to hurt you but I **can't **lie to Elena no matter what." Damon declared silently and he saw Stefan shaking his head.

"It is not your fault." Stefan had told him and even though he knew it was true he couldn't help but feel like he is the reason that tore them apart, his father is going to have a great time bashing him because he had hurt his brother and even though Elena is not among Giuseppe's favourite people, Giuseppe always looked out for her because Elena's parents were his tight friends.

"Elena!" he called out as he ran up to her room and saw that she isn't inside. **Weird. **"She wouldn't leave the front door open if she isn't at home. He was about to turn back when he heard her bathroom door creaked and he saw her wiping the corner of her eyes with her fingers. She has been crying, all this time. It is almost three hours and she didn't get herself a rest. She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw him and Damon didn't think twice about it as he reached over to hug her.

"Damon." She sighed in his shirt as her body shakes with silent sobs. Damon rocks her gently and kissed her hair as they stand there in silence for three minutes before he moved with her to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Have you eaten?" he asks and she nods as he searched her eyes to see if she is lying but she chuckled silently as she sniffed.

"I swear I have eaten, I promised **you **I would never starve myself again." she said and he nods silently not knowing what to say to her. If he is going to be honest with himself, he doesn't know why Elena is this obeying towards him. She didn't listen to Katherine the way she listens to him. He knows for sure that she respects him a lot but she respects Katherine too. He is just like a big brother to her, a guardian while her sister is away.

"How are you doing?" he asks her silently and she shakes her head as she laughs bitterly and sniffed. Damon looked at her with guilt covered in his eyes and he knew she saw it the moment they locked eyes. He quickly moved his gaze but she grabbed his hand.

"This is not your fault, Damon."

"Yes, but it has everything to do with me." Damon said. "You guys don't even fight before you and I became close."

"You just don't know." She chuckled and he listened to her. She takes his silence and continued "there was a time I wanted him to stay for my birthday, my 17th birthday but he told me he is going on a trip with his friends during the summer. Including that bitch, Lexi. We kinda broke up and on my birthday, I made out with Mason Lockwood but nothing happened but I found out that he had sex with Lexi." Elena said "I knew we weren't dating or anything but we took a little break because I told him I **needed **him on my birthday and he told me he can't stay. No one knew about this except Tyler and Caroline. Now you."

"Wow."

"Everything I was afraid of last week just happened and I am not crying because I regretted my decision of breaking up with Stefan, I am crying because I can't bring myself to feel bad about it." she sobbed as she put her elbows on her knees and her face in her palms. Naturally, she felt Damon's arm on her shoulder as he pulled her closer and pressed another kiss to her hair.

**Wow, she is getting free kisses today. **That is the only plus point of all this.

"It is okay." He said "You need to sort out your mind, if you don't wanna be with Stefan, then no one is going to judge you. I won't let anyone do that. You can go out with anyone you want to. Just because you have been dating for years and you are the epic couple, doesn't mean the world is ending." He said and she chuckled bitterly and shakes her head as she sniffed again.

That is the problem, she can't date the person she wants to date because he is dating her sister and he only see her as his little sister, he sees her as something to take care of, as a responsibility because his girlfriend is away. The fact that they are not even an inch away from each other and their emotions and feelings are miles away from each other's is bittersweet. Right now, she decides that she is going to let herself enjoy him taking care of her.

"What do you wanna do?" he asks her and before she could answer they heard the front door open and someone is running towards her door.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot that I am supposed to spend the weekend with Caroline, and it was my idea. I am a bad friend." She muttered as golden hair came barging through the door but she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What did you do to her?" Caroline asked and Damon glares at Caroline as Elena nudged his shoulder. "Why are you crying?" Caroline asked again and Elena clears her throat.

"I broke up with Stefan."

"What?" Caroline whispers in shock.

"You heard Barbie." Damon said and Elena looks at him amused and annoyed at the same time.

"What the hell are you doing here, Damon?" Caroline asks setting her hand on her hip "Shouldn't you be comforting your little brother while you let me do that with my friend?"

"I guess I am the better friend here." Damon said and Elena chuckled inaudibly. She doesn't want Caroline to see that she is fine with the whole thing "I came here and we have a heart to heart that I am sure you have never had with her."

Damon is saying it in a joking manner but he just doesn't know how true it is. She has never told Caroline anything even though she planned on telling her tonight.

"Thank you, Damon." Elena said hugging him and he puts as he realised it is his time to go.

"Call me if you need anything."

"That would take like ten seconds, I would just yell." She said and he laughs as he pats her shoulder and moved out.

"What just happened?" Caroline asked "I know you have grown closer to Damon but I never thought it was **this **close, did you really let him comfort you?" Caroline asks as Elena shrugs and sat down on the bed too, curling her legs underneath her and Caroline let out a soft hiss as she reached to hug her.

"I am sorry." Caroline said. "What happened?"

"I can't talk about it right now, I just rehashed the whole thing with Damon and doing it again seemed unnatural." She said "I promise to tell you tomorrow."

"Oops, before I forget." Caroline starts "Jeremy has left."

"What?" Elena gasped.

"He left and Tyler was scared to death but he called and apologise for just leaving but he promised to come back soon. He went to see his parent, he missed them and all." Caroline said waving her hand in dismissal and Elena sighed in relief. What if Jeremy has really left? That stack of questions she has for him will keep growing and she wouldn't know why. The thing is that even after he has recovered, he still hasn't stopped looking at her the way he used to give her questioning looks.

When she told Katherine that Jeremy has recovered, Katherine has warned her to stay away from him because she said still doesn't trust him. It is understandable to not trust a John Doe but she doesn't know why she feels so connected to Jeremy. She just wouldn't let Katherine down. After all the love she has shown her and the way she treats her like the only precious thing she has, the least she could do is listen to Katherine and obey her since she is the elder.

**..**

**I swear I didn't plan on breaking SE this chapter, it seems a little early and I know you guys wouldn't mind it. It just came to my mind when she went into Damon's room and that's it. And just so you know, SE's theme song is We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together so calm down.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Give me rest, _

_Let me heal,_

_Don't want to be a part of this spinning wheel. _

Elena stared at her dolled up self in the full length mirror as Caroline appeared behind her with a grin on her face. It's been two days since the break up and she feels like an awful person for dressing up and going to the grill that night. Even though Caroline can be really persistent when she wants something, Elena knew it wasn't only Caroline persistency that pushed her into this. She wanted to go and she could care less about what Caroline said about Bonne showing up.

So apparently it is going to be a little party for their gang for graduating but still she feels a little too dressed up. Her dark hair is in wavy curls that made the shape of her face comes out and her makeup is a bit darker than usual. Caroline has applied too much eye liner and mascara to her eyes that Elena is so afraid of letting even an accidental tear escape her eyes because that is going to ruin the whole thing. The dress she is wearing is an all over lace shift dress with cowl back and scalloped hem. It is a coral colour and the colour compliments her tanned skin so much. She wore a cream coloured chic sling-back 3.5 inches sandal from Louis Vuitton that has a graphic cube on top of it.

"Wow Elena." Caroline whispered clearly admiring her work and Elena blushed.

"Wow yourself, Caroline." Elena replied back to Caroline who is wearing a dress similar to hers except Caroline's was not sleeveless. "Really Caroline, you'd have zero problems finding a job at any of these fashion companies you want to work." Elena said and Caroline giggled.

"Hey, you didn't cook the food down in the kitchen did you?" Caroline asked and Elena laughed as she shook her head.

"I didn't." Elena said. "You should have known by now that Damon brings me dinner and sometimes lunch. Breakfast is my only responsibility.

"I would have been surprised to know that you can cook a food that actually tastes like that." Caroline said waggling her brows and from the tone of her voice, Elena knew she wants to say something but she doesn't. "So what about Stefan? I missed a lot being away for yesterday but I am spending the rest of the week here. Everybody wants freedom, not to mention that my dad is fighting with his wife and he's been visiting us a little bit too much these days." Caroline said nonchalantly and Elena turns to look at her.

"Really?" Elena asked "that's awful and I don't know what is going on with Stefan, I made it pretty clear that I don't wanna see him anytime soon and it's like he's understood the message."

Caroline nods as Elena shifted uncomfortably.

"Do you think I am being horrible?" Elena asked as she plays with her fingers "I mean partying only two days after I broke up with my long time boyfriend?"

"Partying two days after your high school graduation." Caroline corrected "And no, you are not horrible. I call it moving on. Besides, if you wanna talk about anything, I am here for you." Caroline said and Elena nods "if you wanna talk about Damon..." Caroline said when she understands that Elena has not understood what she is saying.

"I don't wanna talk about Damon." Elena scoffed "Why would I talk about him? Let me confess something to you, he is my sister's boyfriend and I wouldn't want any complication there. I am not that stupid" Caroline raised a brow at her and Elena realised she is blabbing as she threw her hands up in the air "I am just going to shut up now because I am beginning to sound like you." Elena shouted in frustration as her face turned crimson and Caroline laughed.

"Oh honey."

"Don't honey me." Elena scoffed as she pulled her purse from the dressing table and moved across the room to check on her make up again as Caroline comes behind her.

"Listen Elena, there is nothing wrong in feeling something for Damon as long as you don't act on it."

"How do- uh,"

"How do I know you have feelings for the guy?" Caroline smirks as she cocked a brow "oh please, whenever he walks past you, you eyes glows like they have seen their own favourite food and I am your best friend. It is hard not to tell when you look at him that way."

"I don't wanna feel that way." Elena frowned.

"That is the thing, the more you want to stay away from it the more you feel pulled towards it. It is okay; just don't let it get to your head because you would do something you will end up regretting."

"Wow, you are not that blonde." Elena sighed trying to change the topic as Caroline laughed and gave in.

"Come on; let's get there before Bonnie starts writing a book on how she wants to kill us, a slow painful death." Caroline said and Elena laughed as she followed Caroline to her car. Not without glancing at the Salvatore's residence, Stefan's room upstairs had all the lights off and Damon's room had the dim lights on and she wondered what he is doing. Sure he will come check on her before he goes to bed and she feels awful for not telling him where she is going but hey, he should suck it. It is not like she wants to be around him that much; it will only bring her down to see him so close to her yet far away.

"I kinda danced with Klaus at the prom and he told me something. I wanted to tell Damon but I didn't know how."

"What did he say?" Caroline said as she moved her eyes slightly to Elena before focusing on the road again.

Elena clears her throat "He said that if I keep looking like this –I don't know like what, that Katherine would be left with no one because everyone will come running to me."

"Duh, you are prettier than your sister." Caroline rolls her eyes and Elena shoots her daggers "I mean no offence or anything but it is true."

"He said that Damon has finally come to his senses and that it would be tragic for Stefan, I don't know what to feel right now." Elena said worryingly "He is getting to my head."

"Elena, it is Klaus Mikealson. The only time the guy is sober is when he is asleep, he is obviously messing with you."

"But it sounds like what is happening right now."

"So you _think _Klaus has some super powers to read minds or see the future?"

"No, hell no-"

"Then shut up and don't listen to what he says."

After they arrived at the grill, hugged their friends, danced together and drank scotch, Elena was happy to know that she and Bonnie are no longer in the awkward zone. What freaked her out is that Mason Lockwood actually walked up to her and congratulates her. God, Damon's mates are freaks. Why would they think it is okay to keep following her around like some perverts? If she wasn't drunk enough, she was sure she had seen Klaus looking at her at some point in the other side of the room. And Klaus looking at her isn't wrong if he is not looking at her in a dissipated. She scoffed and walked to the bar yet again but the sight that welcome her was quite surprising.

"Stefan?" she said surprisingly. They might have broken up but that doesn't mean she is done caring about him. He was her friend before they started dating and right now as she is half drunk, she confirmed to herself that she is much more sober than her ex-boyfriend. "God, you are drunk."

"Am I, mum?" he said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes and Elena shakes her head and grabbed his arm.

"Listen, can you just forget everything and go home?"

"No, I can't." He said. "I can't forget that you have something for my brother, I can't forget that even though you know how Damon is, you let yourself feel for him, I can't forget that you betrayed me for Damon."

"Stefan, for the last time nothing happened between me and Damon." She lowered her voice trying not to lose it in the overcrowded place "And let me confess something to you, I am not dating you anymore so you might as well keep your emotions in check." She said frustrated. She knows she is being a bitch but she could care less, Stefan is being a jackass and accusing her of cheating on him. "God, and just because _I _broke up with you, it doesn't mean that I _can't_ help you. We were friends before we started dating, we were like siblings, we grew up together."

"Ready to go, Stefan?" Elena heard a voice behind her and she turned around to see Lexi's dumb blonde head staring back at her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes when Lexi smirked and eyed her up and down. Did this girl really think she is going to make her jealous?

"Yeah, you came at the right time. Someone here is telling me the importance of friendship, neighbourhood etcetera, etcetera." Stefan said as he wobbled to his feet almost bumping into Elena but Lexi held him. When he get back to his feet he move closer to Elena's face and whispered "and _you might as well _know that I am over you at this point." He said and Elena scoffed, she didn't want to fight. At least not today but he is not getting away with it.

"Yeah, that is why Lexi's blonde tits couldn't keep you occupied and you came to the bar to drink your ass off." She said in a bitchy manner as she folded her arms against her chest and the look on both Stefan and Lexi's faces were priceless. _Burn! _ She smirked in her mind as Stefan took a retreating step towards her but she didn't flinch and the stink of alcohol hits her again.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be with my brother keeping him occupied while your slut of a sister is away?" Stefan said and Elena didn't know what hit her but she knew that she wanted to hit Stefan in the face and when she did, she felt good and sober.

"Don't you _ever _mention my sister again." she said as she stormed away and leave to the bathroom. There was no doubt that she started it and she knew what Stefan was going through but he had no right to bring her sister into the conversation. Katherine isn't exactly a saint but there are bigger nasty bitches in Mystic Falls more than her sister. As she sat on a closed toilet seat, she pulled out her phone and saw 3 missed calls from Damon. She knew it; she doesn't want to see him. At least when she just had a fight with his brother who is insulting his girlfriend. She was about to throw it back into the purse when it starts vibrating again and she answered.

"What?"

"_Are you at Caroline's?" _his worried voice asked and she felt bad for snapping at him but it is the best way if she doesn't want to see him tonight.

"Nope and why do you care?"

"_What is wrong with you?"_

"Ask your brother." She said simply and she heard his voice dripping with confusion.

"_I thought you have broken up?_" he said "Aren't you over him?"

"Damon, leave me alone." She said firmly and she heard him sighing.

"Fine, I am leaving you alone Elena." He said as he hung up and she rolled her eyes as she stood up and make her way towards her friends.

"Hey, I didn't even notice you were gone." Caroline said and Elena rolled her eyes and crossed her legs as she sat down on the couch.

"Yes you wouldn't." Elena said eying the position Caroline and Tyler were. Caroline is sitting on Tyler's lap and he doesn't seem to mind it. "Tyler, what is the deal with your cousin?" Elena asked as she swung her hand on the headrest of the couch and she can totally imagine her looking like a bitchy character from some random TV show.

"What about him?"

"Why is he talking to me?" she rolled her eyes "it is Mason, he doesn't talk to anyone."

"Maybe he is into you." Tyler shrugged with a smirk.

"No, no offence but I wouldn't touch that." she said scrunching up her face as she stood up and make her way towards the bar again, she thanked god as she sat down on the barstool when she noticed she didn't know anyone there, except the person who is standing in front of the bar smirking at her.

"Hmm, I don't serve alcohol to underage." Alaric said and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you own the place but are you seriously taking on the bartender's job?" She rolled her eyes as she pulled out her fake ID from her purse "here, this gonna help?" she whispered and he shook his head.

"Elena, I was 9 when you were 4 and I held you in my hands, no fake ID would convince me into giving you alcohol." He said as she glares at him and stood up.

"You suck." She spat as she moved to a booth in the corner and put her heads in her hands. Everything is so fucked up and she wants to get the hell out of here but she wants to be so drunk tonight more than anything. Maybe if she told Damon where she is he would have gotten free drinks for her from Alaric.

"Ma'am." She heard a voice said and she looked up "someone ordered this for you." The young waitress said and Elena smirked. She is going to accept the vodka from whoever it comes from.

"Thanks to the anonymous asshole who ordered this." she said as she takes the whole thing and downed it in one go. She shook her head at the sour taste in her mouth and she smiled as she felt her head beginning to spin.

_Now you are talking._

She reached to take the other glass but the churning pain in her lower chest stopped her from doing that. She shakes her head and she heard footsteps that stopped right beside her.

"Hello, Elena." Klaus said and she looked up to see him. Thank god she is not fully drunk. But out of all the space at the grill why did she choose to sit in the corner near the hallway?

"Klaus, if you are here to say yet another crap about my sister," She said leaning forward as he sat down across her on the booth "then I am very happy to tell you that you are going home with either a broken jaw or a swollen cheek tonight."

"God, you ordered that drink didn't you?" she said and he nods "Did you spike it?"

"No, okay that would be cheap for even someone like me." he said and she glares at him "I know you have broken up with Stefan and I just want to know if we could come up to a compromise-" he spoke straight and she scoffed as she turned her head slowly to look at him.

"Did you listen to yourself, Klaus?" she said "You dated my sister and I don't want anything to do with you."

"Yes, you would say that before you get to know what I am capable of." He said waggling his brows and Elena shoots him a disgusted look before she gets up and rounds the booth to him.

"I will die before I let a guy like you touch me, okay?" she spat and she was about to walk away when he caught her arm.

"Including Damon, because the guy is _just_ like me."

"Don't talk about him like that. He is everything you wish to be but you know you are far from getting it. So you might as well calm your British tongue and let go of my hand before _I show you _what I am capable of."

"Let her go, Klaus." She heard Damon's voice and she sighed in relief and embarrassment knowing that he must have heard a little part of their conversation.

"Uh, your knight in shining armour is here." Klaus smirked as he let go of her hand "You know where to find me when you make up your mind."

"Let's hope you wouldn't be in the asylum by then." She smirked and she saw Klaus frowned before he glares at both her and Damon and moved away. Her glare turns back to Damon who is staring at her intensely as she shakes her head and move past him to the outside.

"Are you actually mad that you captured all the spotlight inside there, princess?" he spat as he came out of the grill, pointing back at the grill in frustration and Elena's face registered surprise on why he is he one frustrated and not her. She told him to leave her alone but he just doesn't get it. "Okay, newsflash, you don't dress up like that and end up being ignored by everyone you came across."

"Why do you care about the way I dress?" she snapped as she backed up against the wall and Damon moved towards her.

"Because-" he paused and clears his throat as he moved back slightly "because creeps like Mason and Klaus doesn't see a girl dressed up like that and let her get away from them."

"Well then, _newsflash _I can take care of myself and I can handle myself perfectly." She said "stop treating me like a kid."

"Fine, get in the car." He said and she folds her arms and stared at him pointedly "I am not taking the words back, Elena. I am going to keep on treating you like a kid till you stop acting like a kid."

"I am not acting like a kid." She shouted on the top of her voice as she gets in the car and Damon enters too. "I am not acting like a kid, just leave me alone."

"I am not going to leave you alone." He said as he caught her wrists and their faces were only inches away from each other "you should have known that by now." he whispered and she looked down at his lips, if she wasn't that frustrated at him she would have done it right there and what really stopped her were his next words before he moved back "you stink of alcohol." He bit out as he wrinkled his face up in disgust and she felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

This has been a bad day. More like bad night. First the encounter with Mason, then with Stefan, then with Alaric, then Klaus and now Damon. What the fuck is wrong with people; can't they just leave her alone? Why is it always her? She has never heard Caroline complaining about some freaks in her life but she is like the dealer of all these complications.

She was about to snap back at him when the burning pain came back again causing her to clutch between her chest and stomach and let an ear piercing scream. The last thing she heard was Damon asking her what is wrong and hitting the brakes before darkness overwhelmed her.

..

_**Thanks for reading. It has been a while but I will try to post the next chapter soon. **_

_**I said that Elena will be a little immature and bitchy here and this is me making her but what happened to her? Was it because of Damon? Stick around to find out. ;)**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_The multitude which does not reduce itself to unity is confusion. – Blaise Pascal._

Damon paced the hallways of the hospital as he waited for any doctor to come out of the E.R. he rushed directly to the hospital the second Elena passed out and he was lucky her family doctor Meredith Fell was there. He tried calling Katherine's number but it is going directly to voicemail. He stared at the watch and saw that is has been exactly an hour since he brought her but nothing was heard from the doctors. A few days back they were here for Jeremy and now Elena is lying on that bed probably wearing that ugly ass gown.

He couldn't help but feel guilty for what is happening; after all it was him that picked a fight with her. but she was reckless, how could she possibly walked into the grill, get stared by creeps in Mystic Falls and drink her ass off when she had promised him that she would take care of what she eats. He sat down in one of the benches and put his head in his hands when Meredith walked up to him.

"Damon."

"Is she okay?" he asked panic evident in his voice and Meredith smiled softly.

"She is fine, it was an ulcer attack."

"What the hell is that?" Damon glares at her and she stared at him pointedly.

"You didn't know she had ulcer? I wouldn't expect you to know since your brother is the boyfriend."

"She is not dating my brother" he said through clenched teeth "but that isn't important right now. I know she had ulcer but I don't know there is anything such as this. I mean, I have seen people with ulcer." He said as she starts walking away and he followed her, when they reached to her office she gestured for him to sit down.

"It doesn't happen so often but hers is chronic and she needs the eradication therapy." Damon's brows furrowed in confusion "right now though we have given her some injections and she is sleeping. She will wake up anytime from now." Meredith said and Damon hopes she would continue explaining to him like that because he doesn't know a thing about therapies or any type of it but his wish stays with him.

"She will have to be taking three different types of antibiotics twice a day for 7-14 days for the eradication therapy which I have them written here" she said handing him a paper "amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole. She will have to keep up with the prescriptions because taking one antibiotic is not enough to kill the germ and there mild side effects like feeling nauseous, diarrhoea and losing appetite. She will have to exercise patience with them for the next few weeks."

"Umm, Mrs. Fell, how exactly am I supposed to explain all this? Because from the look on your face right now you are not done and I don't know a thing about what you are saying."

"You brought her here, I am explaining this to you." Meredith said and Damon glares at her "I'll talk to her when she wakes up though, you'll be able to help her with the prescriptions." She said. "Now moving on, we will use the PPIs treatment too. It works by blocking the actions of protein which are partially responsible for producing stomach acid." She said as she gave him a disapproving look and Damon looks at her pointedly. _What is up with this bitch?_ "Reducing the amount of stomach acid prevents further damage to the stomach ulcer, which to my disappointment Elena was drinking tonight."

"Don't give me that look, doc." Damon rolled his eyes "she wasn't drinking with me, I went to bring her home and we were fighting when she fainted."

"Lansoprazole and Omeprazole will be given to her." she said ignoring him as he defended himself and Damon shakes his head at the woman's attitude. "There will be side effects such as constipation, dizziness, headache, abdominal pain and-"

"Okay doc are you actually curing this girl or giving her more diseases?" Damon snapped "these side effects are way too much; maybe you should give her something with zero side effects even if it would take longer to heal."

"It is not possible." Meredith said with a smile. _Mood swings, fuck this woman. _"Okay, that is it. I think you should go back before she wakes up."

"Thank you" Damon smiled as he shakes her hand and leaves the office sighing to himself as he stepped out and enter the room Elena was.

He saw her sleeping soundly and he didn't know how but her hair is no longer down, maybe Meredith had pulled it up when they were checking her. He walked to her and caressed the side of her face and she stirred when the door to the room opened.

"Father," Damon murmured as he saw his father with an angry look on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, I came to check on the girl but since you are here and she is sleeping, I would talk to you first." His father said in an unflinching tone and Damon rolled his eyes. there was a time when the look on his father's face would push him to run the hell away but that time was gone "What did you say to her that made her break up with your brother who is currently sad? Why are you going out of your way to see your brother hurt?"

"You didn't know what happened." Damon snapped angrily still careful not to wake Elena from her slumber.

"Of course I don't but you wouldn't make your brother sad to make another person happy, it is low even for someone like you." Giuseppe spat.

"Well, why don't you go over and mourn with him while you let me take care of her, why the hell did Alaric tell you about her attack?" Damon said shaking his head and Giuseppe smirked.

"Yeah, I will go. But don't forget you are the reason why your brother is sad and you are probably the reason why this poor orphan is in this hospital bed." Giuseppe said and Damon clenched his fist but he stepped back controlling himself from doing anything stupid.

"Damon?" he heard her voice said softly and he turns to her and rushes immediately to her side.

"Hey." He whispered as he sat on the chair beside her bed and takes her hand.

"How are you feeling kid?" Giuseppe said with no emotion written on his face and Elena only nods with a fake smile.

"Better."

"Good, I'll get going. Heard you will be discharged before dawn, see you later."

"Thank you, Giuseppe." Elena said and the older man nods at her before leaving the room not without a disapproving glance towards Damon. "Damon, water please." She said in a weak voice and he grabbed a water bottle and gave it to her. She drank the water and saw him deep in thought as she nudges his head a little and he looked up smiling but she can still see the hurt in his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and she nods.

"I am feeling okay, really." She smiled "Damon, I am sorry. What I did was reckless and-"

"Don't worry yourself," he chuckled "So I talked with your doctor and she mentioned some things about your medications and all but she is coming back to talk to you, I don't know a thing about it. sorry." He said apologetically and she ruffled his hair with a smile.

"Have you talked to Katherine?" Elena asked and he shakes his head.

"No, her number was not going through." He said "Elena, I know this is the last thing I should be talking to you about right now but I have to, have you seen Stefan since you broke up?"

"Yes, I saw him at the grill with Lexi a few hours back and if this is about what you ass of a father said-"

"You heard?"

"Duh, I woke up the moment you touched my cheek." She said and Damon looked down "I am not going to apologise for hearing your conversation because right now you are dwelling in guilt of something that is not your fault." She said as her hand moved to his cheek as she forced him to look at her "nothing that happened in the past few weeks is your fault and I don't want you to listen to any psychopath that said it's your fault." He smiled at her and he was about to respond when the door opened and Meredith walked in with a smile on her face.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be this better." She said as she put her hand on Elena's forehead. "You are still going to take these prescriptions though, all this is happening because the last time you were given you didn't take them and you are taking advantage of your strong blood type by doing that. Your blood makes it hard for the germs to affect you that much that is why you are sitting down right now and laughing but ulcer attacks are evils. They would take you down like this" she said snapping her fingers and Elena rolled her eyes "so I want you to be careful."

"Thanks Mer, now can I go home?" Elena asked and Meredith put on her serious doctor face.

"Nope, not until I know that you and your friend would take these prescriptions serious."

"I would" Damon said quickly "I don't have a problem with that, you just have to explain to me one more time." Damon said winking at Elena and Elena laughed as Meredith rolled her eyes and starts explaining to Damon once again. From the look on Damon's face he was dead serious and he is not going to let her mess with her meds and she frowned.

It is not that she doesn't want to get well, she just hates taking her drugs and she thought back to the time Jeremy was in the hospital and he hates taking meds too but she lied to him about being an expert at taking her meds and that made him take it to show her what a real macho he is.

"So, I'll bring your discharge papers in two hours. Now, Damon gets her something to eat."

"Sure." Damon said as he quickly walked out of the room and Elena tilts her head to the side as she stares at the place he followed and she couldn't help but admire what a strong man he is. His father is hating on him and probably blaming all the bad things in the world on him but he still cares, he still cares about her and she is sure he loves his brother and cares about him but Giuseppe is being an awful father.

She knows Giuseppe is a douche and that he doesn't like her that much but still she thought it is her bad Pierce blood. She heard that in a family there would be one that is liked by everyone and she finally gave up that Katherine is people's favourite. But she gets it; Giuseppe's hate is not coming from that. He must have something bad against her because the man hardly mentions her name too. In his whole conversation with Damon a few minutes back, he only referred to her as 'the girl' or 'kid. When he calls her the kid she finds it more respectable than him calling her 'the girl' whom she thinks is just downright rude but she couldn't do anything.

He is still her only guardian and when she complained to Katherine about the way Giuseppe is treating her, Katherine said she is only assuming things and Elena knows she isn't but she still listened to Katherine because she doesn't want to push it too. Not when everything is okay even if she is being treated like trash.

"I am back." Damon said fifteen minutes after he walked out of the door and Elena smiled at him as she got off the pillow and shakes her head out of her thoughts.

"Good, I am starving." She said and Damon laughed as he sat beside her and fed her. Two hours later, they sat and talk before Meredith brings the discharge papers and they drove home. Their comfort level is so unbelievable that none of them remember that they were fighting before she had an ulcer attack. When they arrived home it is dawn and the streets have many people on it and Elena couldn't help but feel bad about Meredith telling her to spend two days on bed.

There was a dance event for all the graduates and even though Elena had a hard time finding a date, she managed to convince Matt and to her surprised he agreed to go with her but everything is so messed up. She was about to talk to Damon when his phone started ringing and he flashed the screen at her and she saw that Katherine was calling him. She swallowed a lump that come up her throat. She is gonna have to listen to Katherine's rants right now. Damon examined Elena with a smirk and she rolled her eyes as he answered the phone and put it on speaker phone.

"_Hello boyfriend._" Katherine's voice cooed and Damon chuckles lightly while Elena rolled her eyes. Why is she so jealous of her sister? She has got everything she wanted but it is not fair to Katherine, Damon was Katherine's boyfriend even before Elena knows she is going to like him at one point. She saw Damon look at her and frowned when he saw her rolled her eyes but she just shrugged. "_I got your message; you said it was an emergency._"

"Yes it was." Damon answered. "But it is fine now."

"_Why, what happened_" Katherine asked, concern evident in her voice and Elena thought of what a bad person she is becoming. In her mind she has been bashing Katherine but right now Katherine is worrying about something that happened to her.

"Your sister had an ulcer attack, she fainted on me but it is okay now."

"_What? Where the hell is she?_" Katherine shouted and Elena cuts in.

"I am right here, I am fine." She said rolling her eyes but Katherine wasn't buying any of it. If anything, Katherine hadn't even heard her when she said she is fine.

"_You haven't been eating right? You have been messing with your meds, how many times do I have to tell you not to play with your health? You are being a-_"

"Jesus, Katherine." Elena shouted. "I am fine, it is okay. Don't worry yourself."

"_Wow that is so convincing, Elena." _Katherine snapped sarcastically and Damon chuckled as his hand reached to turn off the engine. _"Seriously Elena, you are lucky I am writing my exams. I would have come over to that goddamn town and show you what a real pain is and you wouldn't even have the guts to faint again. What the hell happened?_"

"She was drinking and your jackass of an ex-boyfriend is practically drooling over her when I saw her with him."

"_God Elena, I thought you are a little responsible. I thought you are better than this, Klaus? Really Elena, whatever happened to Stefan?"_

"I broke up with him and I am not discussing this with you over the phone." Elena snapped back and she heard Katherine sighed.

"_Whatever Elena, I am disappointed. I expect a so much better behaviour from you. I mean, you are the good sister._" Katherine said and Elena rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"I am sorry okay?" Elena said "I didn't want to get an ulcer attack too."

"_Yeah you are gonna have to prove that._" Katherine answered and Elena sighed inaudibly receiving another chuckle from Damon and she glares at him.

"Thanks, goodbye."

"_Bye._"

"Goodbye Katherine." Damon said and Katherine laughed lightly.

"_Goodbye boyfriend. We'll talk later._"

"That we will." Damon said as he hung up and Elena shakes her head at him and gets out of the car and he followed her inside her house. "So, why are you grumpy?" he asked as she sat down on the couch and tilts her head backwards closing her eyes.

"I am not grumpy, I am just mad."

"At me?"

"No, at myself." She said as she turned back to look at him. "I am mad at myself for being a bitch, I am mad at myself for listening to Klaus, I am mad at myself for letting myself believe what he said and I am so fucking mad at myself for letting my heart feel things I don't wanna feel." Elena cried as she puts her head in her hands and Damon puts his hand on her shoulder.

"It is okay, you-"

"It is not okay, Damon." She hissed as she pulled away from him. "I am the reason why this happened to me. I am the reason why your father hates me, aren't I?"

"What, Giuseppe does not hate you." Damon said surprised that she would even think like that but she shakes her head. "Giuseppe hates only one person, me. and that is because I don't let him control me." he said but she just shakes her head as if not believing what he said but she didn't say anything till Damon asks her "You said something about Klaus getting to your head, what did he say? You wanted to tell me since we went to Duke."

"He thinks you have something for me." Elena shrugged and Damon's jaw dropped as he stared at her with his mouth opened. "Don't worry, I did not believe him. I know he is lying and I wouldn't believe anything that comes out of his mouth."

"You are right." Damon murmured.

"But he mentioned that I am gonna have problems with Stefan and now, here we are."

"He is a dick, he doesn't know what he is saying." Damon said "But seriously," he laughed "What made you have an emotional outburst just now?"

"It is not an emotional outburst, I thought about the things and almost everything is my fault." She paused "I am not the good sister." She said silently and Damon chuckles.

"Who cares? You are you and I like you just the way you are, everyone else that thinks otherwise, I say fuck them." Damon smiled and she smiled back as he pushed his fist towards her and she looks at him before she bumps his fist and Damon pulled her to him and she puts her head on his shoulder as they relaxed and get to the sleep they didn't have in the night.

..

_**Filler chapter but it contains some important details. I bet some of you thought Elena was going to admit to Damon that she likes him. ;) We are coming there soon. And for those who are reading fighting the test, I have a major writer's block for it but I would try to look into things and think of what I want its chapter 10 to contain.**_

_**Thanks for reading. I love you all.**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_So I got a review telling me that they don't mind having Damon and Elena starting something before he breaks up with Katherine. Okay, tbh that is what I intend to do since I started writing this but cheating is awful and this is the second time I am including it in my stories but that is why I put this in the drama genre._

_Secondly, when I start writing FTT I mentioned that I needed a beta because TLS has some awful grammar mistakes and typos. I rarely had those in Snowbound because I was less busy and I look over the chapters before I post but I got a review that suggests I get a beta. I appreciate it and even though some of you said I don't need it, I guess I should just start squeezing my time and looking over my chapters by myself. _

_Sorry for the long AN._

There is something about being with Damon _or _being friends with Damon, more accurate yes. The I know everything personality which bugs her all the time but it is always good for her because he never forgets everything about her. Like her medications, her coffee obsession and the promise he made to take her to the grill to have a good time.

The last two weeks have been hell because she hardly ever leaves the house because of the side effects the medications have. She was sick throughout the weeks and Caroline moved in to stay with her. Now that she is fully recovered, she is ready to have a good time and Damon promised to take her tonight. She is so giddy and happy that she decided to go and see Damon after Caroline left for her house.

Walking slowly through the back door of the Salvatore's, she saw her ex boyfriend standing in the kitchen. Wow, she had totally forgotten about him. She hadn't seen him since their nasty fight in the grill and she doesn't know how this is going to end.

"Hi." He said and Elena smiled a little.

"Hi back."

"Listen Elena, I am so sorry about what happened that day in the grill." Stefan said moving closer to her. "It was really stupid of me to say things to you when everything is my fault."

"Stefan, we both said things." She clears her throat "It is okay, we were pretty heated at the moment."

"You are right." He said, dropping the tumbler before he moved towards her, pats her shoulder and walked out through the back door.

She sighed as she dragged her feet away from the spot and moved through the dining room to the living room. She saw how untidy the place was and she shakes her head. This is the negative point of not having a girl in a house; at least a place would stay neat if there was a girl. Even though Damon is a neatness freak, she doesn't know what got into him today.

"Damon!" she called out and sat down in the couch but he didn't answer. Thinking that he might be in the bathroom, she took their remote control and starts going through their channels, as she got bored of sitting she stands up and walked towards the hallway of his bedroom. She was about to throw the door open when she heard raised voices and she stands there listening to whatever is going on.

"I am not leaving this town, at least not before Katherine comes back." She heard Damon's unflinching voice and she leaned against the door, hoping to hear more.

"What, you are her sister's bodyguard or what?" Giuseppe's voice roared and she knows what exactly it is about. Damon told her that Giuseppe is pressuring him into moving to Italy and taking up their family business but he had said no. He talked to his father about letting him work with him in Mystic Falls but he refused to agree.

"I told you I am more than willing to work with you here, why do you want me to move to Italy?" Damon shouted on top of his voice and she heard retreating footsteps but not towards the door.

"Because I am your father you ungrateful little swine."

"No you are not." Damon huffed. "Otherwise you wouldn't be forcing me into doing something I don't want to. I don't know what you think you are doing but you have let her down, you treat me like shit, you don't give a damn about my opinion." Damon said silently. "You have let Mum down."

The next thing she heard was a loud sound and she didn't think twice about what she is doing but she burst through the door and she stopped dead in her track. Damon was holding his jaw and from the looks of it Giuseppe had punched him. She could have swore that Damon was about to punch him back when she entered the room and now the two pair of eyes are on her. Both pair of eyes bloodshot and bodies shaking with rage, Damon had hit a nerve by talking about his mother but that doesn't give Giuseppe the right to raise a hand on him.

"What is wrong with you?" she shouted as she pushed Giuseppe away and walked towards Damon. The elder man walked away from the room silently and she followed Damon silently as he sat down on the bed. "That is terrible." She said as her hand slipped on his shoulder and he nods.

"I am fine." He said silently and she scoffed.

"Just thank god that your jaw isn't broken."

It is his turn to scoff as he answered "It is not like he is going to be seeing anymore." Damon shrugged and Elena takes her hand back and moved away from him looking shocked. He can't do that to her. No, he can't do that at all. He is not going to leave her all alone in this stupid town.

"You are going to listen to him?" she said as her voice cracks with unshed tears. "You are going to do what he said and leave all the people that care about you? Even after what he did to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked as he turned to look at her in surprise and just like that he understands where her thoughts were going. "No, it is not like that Elena." He soothed as he turned to look at her fully and grabbed her shoulders rubbing them in the process. "It is not like that at all. I am just moving out of this house, I need my own apartment." He said and she sighed in relief.

"You got me for a minute." She smiled as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Even though it is not the best idea but it is good to leave, you can't have him punching you every day."

"This is the first time little girl." Damon warned and she smiled as she backed away from him.

"So I guess we are done for tonight."

"Nope, we are _still on_ for tonight." He said firmly as she stands up and nods. "I would be very busy in the week though, so we've got to enjoy this night." he winked as he stands up and puts his arm around her shoulder and they walked outside the room.

As they walked silently to the living room, he turned her around and kissed her forehead. She looks at him questioningly. These little gestures are so little but they are intense and she hates intense with Damon. It is not helping situations, it only complicates her feelings further more and now as he kissed her forehead, his lips still parted and his head bent a little, his blue eyes looking at her so deeply that she wants to cancel the entire plan they have tonight and walk away from him.

"Thank you." He whispered. "You always keep me calm and bring me into a good mood whenever I have an episode with him. It is not something I get all the time." He said and she smiled as she nods. So that is it, he was _only _thanking her for walking into his room that time because he would have retaliate if she hadn't walked into his room that time.

"You are welcome, Damon." She smiled. "I will always be here for you just like you are for me." she said and he nods as he moved away a strand of hair from her face and letting his thumb linger on her cheek for minutes. After a while, she took two steps backwards and left the house without saying anything and entered her house to get ready.

..

"Wow, what's with all the dim lights?" Elena shouted over the music to Damon and he chuckled as he pulled her closer to him. To the people around them, it will look like he doesn't want to lose her in the crowd but in reality; he doesn't want to lose the feeling of her body near his.

"It's Alaric's birthday and Jenna is making everything extra special." He explained and that earned him a smack on the shoulder. "Ouch, what's that for?"

"I am _under dressed _for a birthday." she whined and Damon laughs.

"Let me see." He said as he turned straight and looked at her up and down before moving his eyes to hers. "You look fine to me."

His smirk made her blush as she just shakes her head and he takes her hand again, they made their way towards his friends and she saw some of her mates telling her how gorgeous she looks and Damon smirks whenever she blushes in embarrassment. "Seriously Elena, you are looking good."

"How could I possibly look good in this faded jeans, a camisole and boyfriend jacket?" she snapped.

"Because you are Elena." He said seriously and she shakes her head again with a smile. The moment they reached the place, Jenna moved to hug him and he hugs her back. When she pulled back, she turned to Elena and Elena smiled softly at her.

"You are Elena." Jenna said. "Katherine's sister, right?" she asked turning to Damon and he nods as Elena stretched her hand out for Jenna.

"Yes, pleasure to meet you." Elena said and Damon saw them slipped into a deep friendly conversation before he moves away to find Alaric. He saw Alaric with some guy and he realised it is Elena's friend who works at the grill. He waited for Alaric to finish his conversation with his employee before they get into a conversation.

"So where is Elena?" Alaric asked and Damon turned around and he saw her dancing with Jenna to some girly song.

"It is like they know each other before today." Damon said and Alaric shakes his head as he gulped down his drink.

"It is such a small world, I wouldn't be surprised." Damon knew there was a hidden meaning under what he is saying and he looks at his friend pointedly. "You know, Jeremy happens to be Jenna's nephew." Alaric said and Damon's mouth hanged open in shock.

"Come again, less than a month ago the kid was a John Doe and now he happens to be your fiancé's nephew."

"Yup, I told you Jenna had a misunderstanding with her family when she was barely 16 and Jeremy was only 6 or so then." Alaric explained. "So she has never met him when he was here and I don't know how or where he got her picture but his parents ended up seeing it and his mother happens to be Jenna's sister. Last week they sort out their problems and Jeremy will be coming back to Mystic Falls soon."

"Wow, okay that is hard for me to take but Elena needs to know this." Damon said. "She has some stupid connection with Jeremy and even though it annoys me sometimes I can't help but thinking maybe, just maybe-"

"Damon, I love this song." Elena said running up to him and tugging on his hand.

"I know, I listened to it on your iPod." Damon said oblivious to what she is doing and she rolled her eyes.

"Dance with me." she said and Damon's eyes widened.

"Uh, I am in the middle of a conversation right now, Elena." Damon smiled. "I promise I will dance with you on the next song." He said and she nods with a frown.

"Happy birthday, Alaric." She said and moved away before he replied.

"Whoa, what have you gotten yourself into?" Alaric joked and Damon smirked cockily but decides not to answer him.

"So about that apartment, have you talked to the owners?" Damon asked and Alaric nods.

"Yeah and they said you can move in next week." Alaric replied with a smile and Damon sighed in relief. "You had another argument?"

"It's way too ugly this time around." Damon confessed and Alaric shakes his head as Damon takes another sip from his drink.

"And the job?"

"I don't know, man." Damon said throatily and Alaric puts his hand on Damon's shoulder.

"Let's partner." Alaric suggested and Damon looked at him as if he has lost his mind and burst out laughing.

"You are not serious." Damon muttered as he gets up.

"I am, as a heart attack." Alaric shrugs and Damon shakes his head.

"I can't think about that right now." he said as he starts walking away. "I have to dance with Elena now." he finished as he walked towards Elena and he smiled at her.

"Hey." She said and he smiled softly at her. "Something wrong?"

"Many things but it is not time to talk now." Damon said as he takes his hand and they listened to the Calvin Harris song comes to an end. He hopes that Elena would like the song that will come next otherwise he wouldn't be able to face her wrath on top of everything that is happening right now.

"Oh my god." Elena said as the beats of the next song started and Damon looked at her face in the dim lights. She is grinning ear to ear as she pulled him to the dance floor.

"What's this song?" Damon asked and she giggled.

"Slow Down by Selena Gomez." She shouted over the music as she sung her arms on both his shoulders and starts dancing. Damon lets her lead as he rest his palms on her waist.

_Now that I have captured your attention_

_I want to steal you for a rhythm intervention _

_Mr. T you say I'm ready for inspection_

_Sh-sh-show me how you make a first impression_

_Oh-oh _

"So I don't know how you are gonna react to this." Damon said in her ear as he twirled her around and he felt her shiver a little as she giggles.

"What is it?"

"Jenna is Jeremy's aunt."

"So I heard." She laughed. "Small world, huh?" she said and he nods quickly. "I just don't wanna think about it right now. I missed having fun."

_Can we take it nice and slow, slow_

_Break it down and drop it low, low_

_Cause I just wanna party all night in the neon lights _

'_Til you can't let me go_

_I just wanna feel your body right next to mine_

_All night long _

_Baby, slow down the song_

Damon stood there in the middle of the crowd as Elena takes her hand away from his body and threw them in the air, dancing with her hair all over the place. Enthralled with her beauty, the way her olive skin shines in the dim lights and her plump lips looking more luscious in the lights. He was snapped out of his trance when she stopped dancing and looked into his eyes, her gaze snapping back to his lips for a second before she put her arms on his shoulder and starts dancing slowly.

_And when it's coming closer to the end hit rewind_

_All night long _

_Baby, slow down the song_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh_

_Yeah, baby, slow down the song_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh_

_Yeah, baby, slow the song_

This time as his hand moved to her waist, he didn't know who among them started it but he found her lips on his and he is enjoying it more than he has ever enjoyed anything. Locking her hands behind his neck, she started playing with the hair on the back of his neck as she gave him entrance into her mouth. He moaned as his hands hold her waist tightly pulling her against him, never letting her go.

_Breathe me in, breathe me out_

_The music's got me going_

_Breathe me in, breathe me out_

_No stop until the morning_

_Breathe me in, breathe me out_

_You know I'm ready for it_

_For it, for it! Yeah._

_I-it's the cataracts._

Pulling back at the same time, both their faces wore the same look of shock but he is sure his facial expression is much more priceless than hers. He saw her hand flew to her mouth and she clamped it as her eyes filled with tears.

_I just wanna feel your body right next to mine _

_All night long _

_Baby, slow down the song_

"Oh my god." She whispered and Damon didn't do anything as he just stood there as the realisation of what they've both done hit him. He watched the people beside them laughing and dancing in happiness while they are now standing almost five feet away from each other. "Oh my god." She whispered once more before she ran out of the grill.

_And when it's coming closer to the end hit rewind_

_All night long_

_Baby, slow down the song_

He made his way towards the door and Alaric appears in front of him. God, he is so ashamed of himself that he couldn't look at his best friend in the eyes. He quickly muttered his sorry to his friend and walked out of the grill. He saw Alaric shrugs though before he moved away. He was certain that Alaric thinks he is avoiding him because of the partner thingy but that is not the truth.

If only he knew.

"Elena." He shouted as he walked outside the grill and he sighed in relief as he saw her standing near his car with her face in her hands. Her body is shaking and he knows she is crying because there is no way she would be feeling cold right now. He silently moved to the car and opened it. She immediately entered as she turned her head towards the window and he drove them home.

If anything, they are both stupid that they try to ignore the attraction between them. But in this case, the blame is on him. He is the elder, he should have had more self control but he isn't the one that started kissing her. They leaned in together, join their lips, had a steamy kiss and now it is over. They should just probably get over it but who is he kidding? They wouldn't get over that kiss even if they want to, well at least for him. He wouldn't be able to get over it and now as he looked over to her, he wants to kiss her more than anything.

Damn, things are getting out of hand for him. Constant argument with his father, trying to move out of the house he grew up in, trying to find a job, unstable relationship with the girlfriend he loves but isn't in love with and now kissing his girlfriend's sister who happens to be his brother's ex girlfriend. He knows what Elena is feeling, she is scared, angry and mad at herself for kissing him because her sister means everything to her and now she helped her boyfriend cheat on her. He felt sorry for her more than he feels for himself.

He stopped the car in front of her house and she quickly stepped out as she ran up the porch, retrieved her key and get in. Damon sat in his car with his head on the steering wheel for a few seconds before he looked up to her window and saw that the lights are already off. They were on when he dropped her and he guessed that she is already in bed. They are going to have a huge problem if she is going to blame all of it on him because he doesn't want to be a cheater. Hell, there is no excuse for kissing her but they were both present when it happened and she didn't push him away, if she did, maybe the blame could have been on him, only him.

..

_I don't really like the first part of the chapter and I know you guys love the second part more than the first part too. ;) don't worry, delena are just starting and I don't promise any smut scenes but there are many dramas to come in the future. And I apologise for the long author's note in the beginning and now._

_Besides, I am not promising any updates soon on both of my stories because I would be travelling. And there would be nosy people that I don't want going through my computer and messing up my updates for me. Xoxo_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Happy TVD night!

_And I just want to tell you_

_It takes everything in me not to call you_

_And I wish I could run to you _

_And I hope you know every time I don't _

_I almost do._

Her alarm goes off at exactly 8am and she swung her feet off the bed and moved to her window. She sighed before she pulled the curtains and looked outside over to the Salvatore's. It has been like this since the past ten days, she opened the window expecting to see his car or see him coming back like she watched him left the other day but nothing. He didn't call and her pride wouldn't let her call him, what she wanted was for him to come back and she know that is the easy part. If he is at home, they wouldn't avoid each other forever. He would talk to her about what happened and she would talk to him too.

It's still hard for her to process what happened. Damon had kissed her. He cheated on her sister and she was the person he cheated with. After he dropped her at home that day, she thought about it. They were both to be blamed. She knows that she moved in to kiss Damon and when she did he was doing the same thing. It is like their minds were processing together. Ignoring Damon after he dropped her off was completely out of place. If she had talked to him and made sure that nothing would happen again, she wouldn't be in this position.

All her life, she has never stayed 10 days without seeing him. Okay, she admits they weren't that close before but still she would have noticed that he wasn't there. Whenever she touched her lips, she could still feel the sensation of his lips moving against hers. She could still feel his light grip on her waist and whenever she listened to the very joyful and cheerful Slow Down, she wants to cry which is totally unexplainable to Caroline.

Nobody knew about it-well unless if Damon had told someone. She didn't tell Caroline and Caroline is bugging her to get her ass out to the sun because it is summer. She lied about being sick the whole time and it was a great thing Bonnie and Caroline are not on talking terms because whenever one wants to hangout with her, she lied about being with the other one. And all this time, they believed her. But today, Caroline has booked her. Caroline's words not hers. She hates it when Caroline uses the words.

They were still good with Katherine, at least before she finds out what a backstabbing bitch Elena has turned into. Not that she is gonna tell her but everyday she wakes up with the fear of Damon getting drunk and telling Katherine what they had done to her. She shivered at the thought of her sister finding out and turning her back on her. She wouldn't know what to do. Damon wouldn't be there to catch her because she is sure he feels nothing for her. It is just an infatuation that has ended for him the minute they pulled back and she ran out of the grill.

He tried to talk to her once, the day he was leaving, the day after the incident but she didn't open the door. Instead she sat down on her windowsill, just where she was sitting down now and watched him leave. To be honest, she didn't know he was going away and ignoring her for almost two weeks otherwise she could have just talked to him. Call him then, her mind screamed but she shook her head against the idea and crawl back to her bed Caroline long forgotten.

She didn't know when she fell asleep but she surely heard Caroline waking her up.

"What?"

"I booked you for today." Caroline answered in a whiny voice and Elena snapped.

"I am no some slut that you get to book or-" she paused as Caroline's mouth fell open and she sat down on the bed rubbing her eyes. "I am sorry, I had a bad dream."

"Or a bad week." Caroline said raising her brows as she folds her arms against her chest. "What is with you? I know you haven't been hanging out with Bonnie, I stopped fighting with her like a week ago and all this time when I am with her you lied about being with her."

Elena flushed in embarrassment as she rubbed her temples with her fingers and put her face in her palms propping her elbows on her thighs as she think of a lie to come up with "I was having a flu okay? I didn't want to bother you guys with my problem. I am sorry."

"Oh sweetie, you have been alone all week?" she asked Elena and she nods silently. "I am sorry how are you feeling?"

"I am feeling okay." Elena responds. "Stefan showed up a few times and brought some meds for me but I am okay." The truth is Stefan did show up and he even talked to me about his new girlfriend."

"Yeah, the dude has some guts."

"Care, I made it clear to him I don't want to be with him anymore." Elena said looking at her best friend sternly. "Holding him back would just be bad. Besides he is seeing Rebekah."

"Wait, Klaus's stepsister?" Caroline asked and Elena nods as she looked away and grabbed her phone. Nothing. Still. "Wow, I didn't know he would stoop that low."

"Caroline, just because she almost beat you at the Miss Mystic Falls when she first came to town, doesn't mean she is bad." Elena laughed despite her situation but it is a matter of second before her problem came out of Caroline's mouth.

"And where is the cockiest man alive in all this?" Caroline said waggling her brows and Elena shakes her head as she looked at her phone on her nightstand again before answering.

"We had a fight."

"About what?"

"I-uh. Well, I don't know." She said and Caroline arches a brow. "We are just not on talking terms."

"Since when?"

"Try eleven days back." Elena answered and Caroline smacked her shoulder really hard that Elena winced and almost faint. Yes, she could have fainted if she didn't eat dinner yesterday because it is already 1pm and she hadn't eaten anything.

"I knew it."

"What?"

"You were all grumpy because you are not talking with Damon."

"That is not true."

"Yeah, and I am not your best friend." Caroline said rolling her eyes obviously not believing Elena. "Where is he?"

"Out of town, since eleven days ago." Elena answered again and Caroline sighed looking at her sympathetically. She is really not looking forward to tell Caroline what is going on so she quickly jumped up and moved to the bathroom shouting over her shoulder. "Come on; let's get ready to hit the grill." She said as she entered the bathroom and peeked back into the room quickly. "Pick an outfit for me." she said and Caroline only nods and smiled tightly.

Elena slumped back against the bathroom door as she sat down and hugged her knees to herself, hiding her face between her thighs and chest. She knew Caroline isn't ready to drop the subject from the way she was looking at her and Elena had vowed not to tell anyone what's happening. It wouldn't be fair to both her and Damon. And even Katherine. She knew Caroline would keep her dirty little secret hidden but she wouldn't risk it. What if someone has put a recorder in her closet just like in the movies? She wouldn't risk it.

What gets to her right now though is nothing about the kiss but the way she is attached to Damon. If she couldn't stand him gone for ten days, how would she survive when he finally settles with Katherine? She knew she was being careless when she started farming in the land that is not hers. But she couldn't help it. At first, she was trying to convince herself that she was only affected because Damon was away and they are fighting but slowly, she came to realise that that was still the reason but the main reason is him being away from her. And not being able to speak to him was killing her. She pulled her phone that she had snuck into the bathroom with and dialled his number.

Fuck her pride. But it decided to leave her pride to her when it went straight to voicemail. Okay, now she is worried sick about it. She is not sure if Damon is fine or not. Stefan had told her that they had spoken a few times but that was like 4 days back and she doesn't want to sound desperate to Stefan.

She slowly got up and ran her shower and goes back to the bedroom. They chatted a little and when Caroline finally gets fed up of the tension, she threw her hands in the air as Elena picked up her purse, ready to go.

"Did you kiss your sister's boyfriend?"

Shit.

..

"Okay man, I gotta go." Alaric said as he downed the rest of his drink and stood up from the couch. "Hope you'll stop hiding from your problems."

Damon chuckled at Alaric's word and straightened his legs on the centre table leaning back on the couch "I am not hiding; I am going back there today to bring all my belongings here." Damon said as Alaric tucked his hands in his pockets. "Listen man, I owe you one. Thank you."

"Are you really saying thank you?" Alaric said feigning surprised. "It's either the apocalypse is around the corner or you have finally decided to grow up. Anyway, thanks for not agreeing to partner with me. My grill would have ended up destroyed. I was just being a good friend." Alaric chuckled and Damon shakes his head

"Okay, seriously dude. I was considering that offer." Damon said and Alaric's eyes widened as he sat back down.

"Really? Listen, I was kidding." Alaric offered and Damon laughed. "I would really need a hand and anything that would stop me paying almost everything you do on this earth. Including breathing."

"Ouch dude." Damon said biting his lips as stands up. "So am I in?"

"Yeah. Absolutely, no funny business though because I can fire your ass anytime I want."

"Okay, wait. Please tell me I wouldn't be the bartender." Damon said seriously and Alaric stood up and pats his shoulder.

"No, you would be the one bringing our drinks from the company."

"Bus boy?" Damon's face scrunched up and Alaric laughed out loud and starts walking away.

"Ha, no, anything that deals with the drinks would come through you."

"Okay, get ready to have the best beers you would ever know." Damon smirks but Alaric was already out the door. "Thank you." Damon murmured to himself and slumped back in the couch again. Ric was right, he has to stop hiding. After spending almost a week at Ric's because of the horrible fight he had with his father the night he shared a moment with Elena, he decided not to stay there anymore. He packed the things he needed and drove to Ric's. He tried to talk to Elena and inform her where he would be but she refused to talk to him.

After days of searching for an apartment, he found one and he had set it up. It has two bedrooms and a huge parlour and kitchen. He couldn't have asked for a better one. He could have been fine with only one bedroom but it never hurts to have a spare. he had sent Katherine pictures of the apartment as she demanded and she called him up telling him she can't wait to be there and do it everywhere in the house since they have it all to themselves. If only she knew.

The burning desire he feels right now is only for Elena. His girlfriend's sister, he wants her more than he could take. He wants her more than life itself. Staying away from her hadn't helped him a bit and he is afraid to show up again because she might not want to talk to him again. The look on her face that night shows everything she was feeling. She feels broken inside at the realisation of what she had done to her sister. He knows that is it and he felt it too. But he wasn't sorry about it. He just won't ruin what he has with Katherine because the possibility of being with Elena is very slight.

Granted, both Katherine and him haven't been in love for a long time but just jumping to her sister would be the most horrible thing to do. He refuse think of what Katherine's reaction would be if she finds out about their little betrayal. It would suck for everyone that is involved. Knowing Katherine and how she likes to vent out her anger on others, even the ones that are not involved would be dragged into the mess.

He finally stood up; ready to go home and see what everyone on Maple Street has ready for him. He hissed at the thought of seeing his father or having to talk to him when he reached. That wouldn't stop him though because he is ready to face his problems and he wouldn't let his paranoid thoughts stop him.

..

"What the hell, Caroline?" Elena said quickly. "Why would you think that?"

"Um, wait, maybe because you have a crush on him." Caroline said standing up and folding her arms against her chest and for a second, Elena thought it was actually Katherine that comes in Caroline's form from how serious she looked. "Maybe, because you jump every time I call his name or maybe because you sneaked into the bathroom with your phone thinking that being a blonde means brainless."

"Caroline, you don't get to be the one who is angry right now." Elena said and she was actually a little proud of how stern she sounded but she still feels horrible about lying to her best friend. "I did not kiss Damon."

"Okay, I am sorry." Caroline said. "It's just that you staying home all week and fighting with Damon looks suspicious. That's all. What is the fight about though?"

"He got into a fight with his dad and I think he shouldn't fight with his dad. That's all." She said rather lamely and Caroline nods her head believing her,

"Well, we are going to hit the grill and we'll enjoy the night putting away our boys' problems away." Caroline squealed and Elena giggled as Caroline helped her get ready and they hit the road.

When they arrived at the grill it was around 4pm and they jumped into a booth ordering food. Elena was happy and thankful to be with Caroline because the last time she ate something warm that was made at the moment was like two weeks back. The whole week, she had eaten frozen foods and leftovers that she would warm in the microwave. It was refreshing to eat warm food. It made her feel alive and she got a sudden boost of energy.

"Let's dance." Caroline said and Elena's yes drifted to the dance floor and she frowned. That is where it all started. She wouldn't put herself through that trouble. She doesn't want to be remembered of it as the guilty party was missing and it is crazy how she missed him.

"No, absolutely not." Elena said and Caroline raised a brow. "It's just that I get nauseous when I danced after eating a meal and my doctor said that I shouldn't do much of that after eating." wow, she could actually pull off a role in pretty little liars, she thought.

"Aww, ulcer sucks." Caroline gushed and Elena nods as her friend moved to the dance floor and she moved to the bar where Alaric was standing.

"Hey."

"Wow, Elena." Alaric said. "I haven't heard of you this whole week. Are you fine?"

"Actually, I am." She said. "I was just checking in to know if Damon is."

"Wait, you guys not speaking?" Alaric asked and she nods. "No wonder he avoided any topic that would bring you into a conversation." Ric said and she frowned.

"Wow that hurts." She said her frown still lingering and Alaric looked at her apologetically.

"Look, sorry." Alaric said dropping off his towel. "I can't assure you where he is right now but I guess you would be seeing him soon. It is just that he had a rough week last week so he left the day after." This is beginning to confuse her more. He had a rough week? Kissing her was his idea of having a rough week? Odd, because her idea of a rough week was him leaving without saying anything and still occupying her every thought.

"What- what do you mean he had a rough week?" she asked silently and from the look on Alaric's face she knew he is contemplating whether to tell her or not. "Ric?"

"He had a fight with his father that night." Alaric said and her mouth fell open. He had a fight with his father the night they kissed and he wanted to talk to her but she didn't listen to him. She had slide up from the position of a bad sister to that of a bad friend.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "Thanks for telling me though." She smiled tightly and she was happy that Caroline was waiting for her so they could get out of there because Caroline's mum needs her. In the car Caroline starts telling her about Bonnie's new boyfriend and the dinner they had at Bonnie's house.

"So, the dinner ended with Bonnie throwing up because Shane had seen her pictures when she had braces and some pictures of her in a headgear." Caroline concluded and Elena laughed clapping her hands as Caroline pulled over and then frowned. "Hey isn't that Damon's car?"

With that Elena turned quickly and her heart begins beating rapidly as she reached the door and ran out of the car. She rushes into the Salvatore's and to shouted his name but to her surprise Stefan and Rebekah were making out on the couch. Her nose scrunched up. Not that she was jealous but it made her feel stupid that Stefan had moved on and she was pining on a guy she is never going to get.

"Sorry, I thought Damon is in here." She said as she turned around and she could hear Rebekah asking Stefan 'I thought he was dating her sister.' She shakes her head in the bitchy tone Rebekah is talking and left. She saw Caroline waiting for her and she stopped dead in her tracks. Did she really move out of the car without saying anything to Caroline?

"What was that Elena?" Caroline asked seriously and Elena rubbed her temples. She could feel the headache coming back.

"Sorry, I had to apologise to Damon." She said. "It is my fault that we are fighting. I shouldn't have interfered in family's matters." Okay, she wasn't really lying because Damon had left because of the fight with his father and she wasn't there for him. "It is just that I have grown so close to him over the months and I hate that I am fighting with him." True. Probably the only thing that is a complete true.

"It is okay, Elena." Caroline smiled at her and she smiled back softly as they said their goodbyes and Caroline drove away.

She entered her house silently and moved upstairs, she was at the top of the staircase when her eyes peeked into her room and she saw him sitting in her bed. He stood up when he saw her and she didn't know how she ended up in his arms hugging him. She had run and covered the short distance between them and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"I am sorry." She whispered. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." his voice proved to her that this was real. To be honest, she never thought that this would be the way she would act when he came back. She wanted them to talk and solve out everything but that doesn't go straight. She pulled back and stared at his face smiling as his baby blue eyes bore into hers. What she did next surprised her even more than what she did the minute she saw him in her room.

She closed the distance between them and caught him in a searing kiss. He responded immediately and her mind was telling her to stop but she couldn't. What is done is done. She was gently pushed back to her dressing mirror as her hands stayed at her side and she gave him full access to her mouth.

He pulled back panting heavily as he murmured "Katherine, Elena."

"I don't care." That was her response and her hand moved to something behind her, she took it and saw a frame of Katherine and her smiling into the camera but she flipped it over and raised her brow at Damon. He pecked her lips a little and then kissed her roughly only coming up for breath as his hands roamed her sides. She moved her hand to his raven hair and played with his already messy hair as he placed her on top of the dressing mirror and she hissed at the loss of contact as he pulled back.

"As much as I hate to do and say this" he said panting heavily and she chuckled as she smiled shyly at him.

"We need to talk." She finished for him as he nods with a smirk on his face.

..

_**Elena gave in really easily. I know. And her 'I don't care' line sounds so not Elena but I already said that she wouldn't be as naive as she is made to be in this story.**_

_**Stick around for more.**_

_**Next chapter would start four weeks after this happened and Katherine would be back for her birthday! Though the birthday might not be in the next chapter.**_

_**Review please. Xx **_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Mm, uh Damon-" Elena moaned as she closed her eyes and turned around from the mirror giving Damon more access to her neck. "We need-to, uh stop." She managed to finish and Damon sighed heavily as he pulled back.

"I want you so bad." He said placing tiny kisses on her cheek and she smiled trying not to lose the little control she has.

"Me too." she sighed as she pulled back and kissed him gently. "But not right now. Caroline would be here any minute and I have to be ready, I told her I would be there in 10 minutes and I am already taking 30 minutes."

"I was hoping we would be here, just the two of us." He said whispering in her ear and she chuckled. "Hang out, naked?" he said kissing her earlobe and the slam of the front door made her jump back.

"It is Bonnie's birthday, Damon." Elena said. "I have to be there, I would be back before you know it."

"I was kinda hoping we would stay the night at my place." He said silently and Elena didn't get to reply as Caroline appeared in the bedroom. "Blondie." Damon said in an irritating voice and Elena shot him daggers.

"You seem to be spending so much time in my friend's bedroom." Caroline said. "Now if you would excuse us, we have to go."

"Hey, don't be like that." Elena said. "I haven't finished applying my makeup."

"Elena, what happened to your hair?" Caroline shouted and Elena swallowed tightly. "It was perfectly straightened when you came home."

"I had trouble taking off my top." Elena shrugged simply and she saw Damon walking out of the room. "Hey." She called out to Damon and he turned around with a smirk on his face. "I am pretty sure Caroline would be drunk before the end of the party and I won't have a ride home. Do you mind picking me up?" she asked in a voice that sounded like she was pleading with him but as the smirk grew on his face, Elena knew he knows what she is aiming at.

"Why, no Ms. Elena." He said and she blushed. "You look stunning, if that isn't obvious." He said one more time before leaving the room and Elena turned redder as Caroline looked at Elena weirdly and shakes her head before helping Elena with the rest of her makeup and they stepped outside.

Weeks back when Damon pulled off the hiding thingy, if you tell her that she would end up having a secret relationship with her sister's boyfriend, she would smack you right in the face or tell you to piss off-that is if she has a little respect for you. They haven't gone further than the hot make out session everywhere in her house and Damon's new apartment. As much as she liked Damon's apartment that is a little outside the town, she doesn't want to spend much time there because it would look suspicious to people.

She finally told Damon that she wants to have sex with him and he asked her if she was sure and she told him yes. The guilt is killing her inside about how she is betraying Katherine but what she is feeling for Damon is something she has never felt before. The passion he brings out of her is nothing she thought she had in her before.

At times she would stop and ask herself if being with Damon is worth breaking her sister's heart but she is happy. She wasn't hiding anything anymore and her feelings for him are out in the open- to him of course- even though her friends can see through her little crush.

She remembered the day he came back and she kissed him and when he brought Katherine up she said she didn't care. It is true, she doesn't care about the consequences but the thought of Katherine being away at school, worried about her well being while she is here going behind her back with her boyfriend is the worst feeling ever.

"_We need to talk." Elena said and Damon nods._

"_First, I am sorry for leaving without saying goodbye." Damon apologised and Elena nods as she sat back down on her bed._

"_I am sorry too, for not being there for you when you need me."_

"_Secondly, Elena." He paused. "I didn't regret what happened between us that night at the grill."_

"_Duh." She joked and Damon shakes his head with a laugh and looked away. From the way his face looked, Elena was scared she was going to get rejected and she stood up and walked to him. "Damon, don't tell me this can't keep going on."_

"_Elena, it is not easy-"_

"_Why did you kiss me back then?" she shouted and Damon flinched._

"_I kiss you Elena because I want you." He snapped back. "I want you more than you __**think **__you want me."_

"_I __**don't **__think I want you, Damon." She said running her fingers through her hair in frustration. She looked at him in the eye and continued. "I __**do **__want you, Damon. And I don't know where this is coming from but I want to be with you."_

"_Elena, you are not thinking straight." he said trying to reason with her and reach for her arm but she huffed and moved back. "You don't know what you want."_

"_Oh yeah?" Elena scoffed. "Then I don't know what you are doing here, Damon." She said as she put her hands in her jeans pocket. "how could you come in here, kiss me back when I kissed you and now you are telling me I don't know what I am doing?" she said as she turned around and Damon could see that she is on the verge of crying so he gently slipped his arm around her waist and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck._

"_I am sorry." He whispered. "I don't want you to do something you would regret. I can deal with it but I know you can't if Katherine-"_

"_Can we not mention her if we are really going to do this?" Elena sniffled. "I feel bad enough as it is and I don't wanna feel bad about this." she said as she turned around and his blue orbs met her brown ones. "I don't wanna feel bad about us." She whispered and he kissed her forehead as he smoothed her hair away from her face and ran his thumb across her cheek._

"_You are beautiful." He whispered and she chuckled, her voice still cracked._

"_Are you noticing that only now?" she asked silently and he kissed the tip of her nose and shakes his head._

"_I know I have put it in words before but now you know what I actually mean." He said back in that same silent husky voice that made her go weak in the knees. She laughed as she kissed his lips and he kissed her back._

_They both knew this was a stupid idea and that someone would wind up hurt but that is it. As selfish as it sounds, it is better to have one broken heart than two._

"You are awfully quiet." Caroline noticed and Elena smiled at her as she takes her head away from the headrest.

"I hate this song Caroline." Elena said as she listened to the song 'other woman by Nina Simone' playing on the radio. It only makes her feel bad about her current situation and it is trying to make her go back on what she has decided. Caroline stares at her strangely and Elena just realised what she has said. "I mean, it is so slow and boring. We are going to a party-"

"Elena, calm down." Caroline said and she swallowed tightly as Caroline puts on Red by Taylor Swift and Elena's face broke into a grin. They sang along to the song and even though Elena was having fun she couldn't help but think some of the lines in the song matched her relationship with Damon.

_Losing him was blue like I'd never known_

_Missing him was dark grey all alone_

_Forgetting him is like trying to know somebody you never met_

Caroline looked over her with a grin as they sang together and Elena looked at her with a smile.

"What is it?" Elena asked, not able to hide her smile. She was feeling stupid by how every thought of her has Damon in it, everything she does relates to Damon and she couldn't hide her giddiness when she is thinking of him. And by thinking of him, she meant his kisses, the way his eyes look at her, or the way he held her to sleep in the night even if he wouldn't be there when she wake up. He makes sure he is the first person she saw last and the first person she would think of in the morning.

_Memorising him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favourite song_

_Fighting with him is like trying to solve a crossword and realising there is no right answer_

_Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong_

"You just seemed genuinely happy." Caroline shrugged. "That's it; I haven't seen you like this in a long time and whatever it is, keep it up. Because I like you like this."

"I like me like this too." Elena said flashing Caroline a toothy grin. "And yeah, I would keep it up. Thank you."

When they arrived at the party and they got out everything they need for Bonnie's 19th birthday, Elena was no surprised to see Bonnie's house filled with people. She moved to Bonnie and wished her happy birthday and she moved to the dance floor to dance. She was surprised to see Elijah, Klaus's brother and the only decent Mikealson there. He asked her for a dance and she agreed.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked him. "You don't have friends here."

"I came to see you."

Oh god, not this again, she thought.

"I want to talk to you about Katherine." Elijah said and Elena sighed in relief. Elijah has always liked Katherine even when she was dating his brother and it would be an interesting time for Katherine to get with Elijah but she isn't gonna get in the middle of this as much as she wants Damon all to herself. Katherine wanted nothing to do with the Mikealsons after her dirty break up with Klaus.

"What about Katherine?" Elena asked nonchalantly.

"I still like her, Elena." Elijah said. "Nothing changed in the past 4 years."

"Well, I am glad to know that Elijah but I can't help you." Elena said sincerely. "Katherine hasn't forgiven Klaus for what happened between them and you telling me this is ruining things because she has a boyfriend." it wasn't a lie Katherine has a boyfriend and even though the words sound like bile in her mouth, she isn't going to become a hypocrite and try to fix things by ruining them.

"Well, thanks for listening to me." Elijah smiled. "I would know what to do." He said releasing Elena's arm and patting her shoulder.

"What does that mean?" Elena asked folding her arms against her chest and looking at him suspiciously.

"I am not planning to hurt anyone." Elijah said. "If Katherine and I are meant to be, we'd find a way." He said and Elena nods praying inwardly that they would find a way.

"So, what are you doing with Mr. Sexy hair?" Caroline asked as she rounded Elena and hand her a glass of drink and Elena smiled as she collected it.

"He was asking me how he would get Katherine." Elena huffed and they kept quiet as she realised Caroline was taking her to the balcony.

"And, that's a good thing right?" Caroline said to Elena and Elena looked at Caroline and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Elena, I know about you and Damon." Caroline said silently and Elena flushed in embarrassment. This is not how she intends it to go, she knew there would be a time when she had to get it out to her friends but she never realised Caroline would be the one to find out.

"Caroline-"

"Elena, just hear me out." Caroline said stopping her from saying anything. "I won't tell you that what you are doing is wrong because you know it is." Caroline paused as Elena looked away into the town. "But you are happy, I haven't seen you like this in months and I want you to be happy more than anything. I just want to know where you stand with Damon and Katherine in this."

"I don't know." Elena stammered. "I refuse to talk about it and I refuse to think of what Katherine would do when she finds out."

"You know you are gonna have to talk about it at some point right?" Caroline said and Elena nods. "And Damon is going to make a decision because you two are sisters." She said and Elena nods again. She hates hearing this speech because she didn't allow Damon to talk about it and now hearing Caroline telling her what to do, deep down she knows Caroline is doing it only because she cares about her.

"Thank you, Caroline."

"Have you slept with him?" Caroline whispered in her normal cheery voice and Elena was relieved to have the cheery Caroline back.

"No." Elena blushed. "We were planning to- tonight."

"Okay, don't let my little speech ruin the night for you but Elena, Damon has to make a decision. Soon."

"I know." Elena said. "I don't want to ruin the night. Do you think the talk can wait, till tomorrow?"

"Yes, it can." Caroline said hugging Elena. "No matter what happens and no matter what both of you decide, I am here for you. And I love you." Caroline said in Elena's ear and Elena is relieved to know that at least she has her best friend on her side even when everything comes crashing down. She was pulled back by the beep of her phone and she pulled it out to see Damon's text.

_Are you done? I can't wait to see you._

She smiled as she read the text and she heard Caroline clicks her tongue.

"As much as I hate to admit it, forbidden relationship is the hottest." Caroline said and Elena let out a laugh. "Tell him to come and take you." Caroline said and Elena nods as she texted Damon to come over.

They sat down in the balcony seat and Elena told Caroline about how it started and Caroline squeals and warned Elena off at some point and constantly reminds her of the talk she should have with Damon the next day.

When Damon arrived, he texted her to come out and Caroline promised she wouldn't tell anyone about Damon and Elena's little affair, which makes Elena a little happy.

The minute she entered the car, Damon caught her lips in a searing kiss and she fell into a train of thoughts but she decided to ignore it and enjoy the night. Damon must have noticed her discomfort as he pulled back and he frowned as he stroked her hair.

"What is wrong?"

"Caroline knows." She said and Damon sighed. "She knows about us but she isn't going to say anything."

"How long has she known about it?" he simply asked as he started driving.

"Two weeks, you don't look worried." Elena observed and he shrugged simply.

"Blondie can be annoying but she loves you and you trust her." Damon said. "What I don't get is why you are jumpy." Damon said in a worried voice and she shakes her head as she breathed heavily.

"I am ready to talk, Damon." Elena said and Damon chuckled.

"Fine, Elena."

"Not tonight." She said quickly. "I don't want to ruin our night." she said blushing deeply as she intertwined her fingers in his and he looked over at her.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked and she nods. "If you want to talk about it, you know I am ready."

"No, Damon." She said firmly and he nods.

As Damon drove silently to his apartment, Elena couldn't help but wonder what is going on in his head. She couldn't help but wonder if their 'talk' would be the end of their love affair. She hoped not. She decided she would tell Damon about Elijah and she would judge their relationship by whatever his reaction might be. The car comes to a halt and they both get out of the car and her heart starts thumping wildly in her chest. This is going to be a huge game changer and no matter how ready she felt a few hours ago, she now doubts her decision.

She was caught off guard as they entered the apartment and Damon turned her gently to look into her eyes and kiss her softly. His fingers trailed on the sides of her body and in a matter of seconds her coat was discarded, she sighed as Damon's lips moved to her neck and sucked on her pulse point. With him ravishing her that way, all she could do was moan but her plan was for both of them to enjoy the night so she pulled back his face to hers and kissed him deeply.

"Elena" he pants and she moans in protest at the loss of contact. "You last chance to change your mind." He whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers and her hands slid around his neck.

"I was planning to, a few minutes back." She responds silently. "But if anyone is going to change their mind, it wouldn't be me." she said and Damon didn't say anything. "Damon?"

"Mh-mm?"

"Your last chance to change your mind." She said in his ear with a husky voice as she bit his earlobe but the groan he let out as he pushed her to the nearest wall told her none of them is getting out of the house with the clothes they came in as she heard the buttons of their clothes fell to the floor.

_**..**_

_**I really wrote that, my lame attempt at writing a make out scene. So Katherine would come back only after their little talk and the drama ensues from there. **_

_**Warning: Katherine isn't going to take it lightly and some secrets might come out in the open and not only one heart will be broken. **_

_**I have a story idea, if you want to hear it then tell me. I would tell you what it's about in the next chapter. It wouldn't be one, I would be writing two when I am done with the two I am currently writing.**_

_**Thanks for reading. Xx**_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"You know, you are being a real good house boy." Elena teased and Damon smirked as he dropped the plate of food and slid down next to her.

"Now, would a house boy do this?" he said as his hand found her waist and she shivered at the warm contact. "Or this?" he said as he kissed her lips and she giggled. "Come on, eat up."

She started eating the food and from the look on Damon's face she knows he is going to bring up the talk anytime from now. It has been four days since Caroline found out and they had slept together every night from that night till now but she keeps avoiding the talk. She might have said she was ready when Caroline finds out the truth but she realised she isn't. If they talk, Damon is gonna have to choose between Katherine and her and she is not ready to be rejected. The chances of Damon choosing her are low and even if he did, how can they be together?

There are times when she gets in the middle of thoughts like this and she wondered what could have happened if she'd never gotten involved with Damon. If she never kissed him after he came back from hiding? But the thing is she regretted nothing about what she has with Damon and she is willing to carry on if he is.

"So?" Damon said with a raised brow and she raised her brow too. "Are you gonna keep avoiding the talk till we reach the point where we are not left with any choice?"

"I wasn't-"

"Come on, Elena." He chuckled. "You were, tell me what you have in mind."

She shrugged nonchalantly and he took his stare off her face as he wheezes out air. "I know that I am scared." She said silently and Damon looked back at her. "I am scared that you can't leave Katherine and I would have to be your 'dirty little secret'." She said air quoting the words. "I don't want to be that."

"Elena-" he started but he was cut off when her phone started ringing and her eyes widened as she saw Jeremy.

"I have to take this, I am sorry." She said to Damon and he nods. "Jeremy." She said into the phone.

"_Hey Elena, how are you?"_

"I am fine." Elena answered with a smile. "Where have you been? I thought you were supposed to come back in two weeks? And now it is turning into months."

"_I am sorry, I really want to come back because I still have unfinished business here but my parents are holding me. I'd have to come back with them if I am ever coming back."_

"They are only worried about you, you know." Elena smiled at the distaste in his voice, even though he sound more matured now he is still a 16 year old kid that survived a mental illness and is freshly healed now.

"_I know, anyway expect me there before a month or in three weeks." _Jeremy said and Elena smiled. To be honest, she missed him. He is one of the few people she enjoyed talking to and she would be glad to have him back with all the web she has in her brain now.

"That's cool, I can't wait." Elena squealed and Damon looks at her with a smile. "Listen, I gotta go. I am kinda in a hot seat right now." she said and Damon smirks as she laughed.

"_College interviews?_" Jeremy asked.

"No." She laughed. "Bye."

"_Goodbye, Elena."_ She sighed as she dropped the phone and kept staring at it.

More like a life interview. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that-" Damon started as the door barged open and they both stand up and stopped dead in their tracks.

"Surprise!" Katherine shouted as she rushed to Elena and hugs her.

Oh god, how exactly is she going to do this? Katherine decided to come back the moment they were trying to talk about their affair. How exactly is she going to hug Katherine back or tell her she is happy to see her? Everything is so wrong. She doesn't deserve this bone crushing hug Katherine is giving her, she doesn't deserve to be where Katherine is. After all she is the one that helped Katherine's boyfriend cheated on her.

"Why are you crying?" Katherine asked with a frown and that is when Elena realised that she has tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile.

"I am not feeling fine." She lied and Damon stared at them, his shocked expression still registered on his face. Elena saw him shuffling and she knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Aww, is that why my boyfriend is here?" Katherine said as she moved to Damon and pats his cheek. "You don't have to play babysitter all the time, you know. Elena could have called Caroline and you should just go to work."

"Nice to have you back, Katherine." Damon murmured as Katherine smiled and tip toed to kiss his lips. Elena's jaw clenched at the sight and she could see that Damon wasn't comfortable too so she left the living room and when she reached the top of the stairs, she could see that none of them noticed that she wasn't there.

She simply texted Caroline and told her that Katherine is back and Caroline said she is on her way. After that, she entered the bathroom and just like that, she had a repeat of a few days back as she slumped against the door of the bathroom and put her head between her knees and began to cry. Everything is her fault, if she hadn't kissed Damon that day, they would have forgotten about the steamy kiss they had at the grill. And if she wasn't scared of the talk they were going to have, she would have felt less guilty now that Katherine hugged her and if they had had that talk, Damon would have told her what he has in mind and if he was staying with Katherine, then the kiss may have not bothered her. Okay it would have because he was kissing her five minutes back before Katherine walked through the door.

But still, she might have known that he is not hers to have. She would have known where she stood with him and she wouldn't be feeling like the other woman right now which of course she is.

"Elena?" she heard Katherine's voice called out and she sniffled as she stood up and turns on the shower.

"Yes?" Elena answered throatily.

"Are you okay?" Katherine asked worriedly and Elena felt another set of tears brimming in her eyes.

"No- nothing." She answered with a crack in her voice. "I just got uh, nauseous." Which she did. When Katherine kissed Damon, she felt nauseous and it was one of the reasons she decided to leave the living room for them.

"Uh, sorry." Katherine said. "Do you need me to hold your hair?" her sister offered and Elena scoffed inwardly.

"No, I have got this." Elena shouted over the sound of the water. "I am trying to have a shower; Caroline and I are going out for some fresh air."

"I see." That was Katherine's only response and Elena heard her footsteps walking away. She showered and tried to provide herself with relief from the warm water like she normally does but she couldn't. It was pointless, she realised after the water started running cold. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror and saw that her eyes are still red, she opened the drawer and brought out her eye drip and put a drop in it. If she is going to do whatever she is planning to do, she isn't going to start with red eyes.

"Hey." Katherine said and Elena fought the urge to roll her eyes as she saw Katherine standing close to her closet. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Elena grumbled and Katherine took some outfits and laid them on the bed for her.

"So, what is Damon's pyjama pants and jacket doing here?" Katherine asked and Elena shrugged casually.

"I have it here since the day we went to see you in Duke."

"It has been months." Katherine pushed and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Well, I keep forgetting to give it back." Elena snapped and Katherine stared at her with her mouth slightly opened and Elena closed her eyes trying to calm down. "I am sorry; I am kinda snappy today that is why I need fresh air."

"I hope you are not pregnant." Katherine teased and Elena laughed in response. "So, Damon has been treating you well?" Katherine asked and Elena nods. If only she knew.

"Why are you back?" Elena said casually but in reality she wanted to shout at her sister and ask her why she decides to come back only now?

"I got a change of time table and I could use a free time so I decided to check in. Besides I want to celebrate my birthday at home, at Damon's new apartment."

"Really?" Elena asked. "And what does Damon have to say about that?" Elena asked as she began dressing up and she saw Katherine's lips curl up in a smile and Elena knew she isn't going to enjoy this.

"What would he say?" Katherine smirked. "I am his girlfriend and his job is to make me happy." Katherine giggled and all Elena could do is force out a grin and try to apply her mascara without letting her tears fall.

"Aww, isn't he cute?" Elena said in a voice that is meant to be sarcastic but she knew she couldn't do it.

"My boyfriend is not cute." Katherine cooed. "He is the hottest man on the planet." And Elena has to agree with that and nod. "Tell me, when was the last time you got laid?"

Three hours back.

"It has been a while." Elena shrugged. "You know, I am single but I am not ready to mingle. Which reminds me, Elijah has been asking about you."

"Ugh, what does he want?" Katherine said trying to sound uninterested but she failed miserably.

"Well, you know what and I told him you have a boyfriend so he said he is going to back off." Elena finished and Katherine only nodded at this.

"Well, I guess Caroline is here." Katherine said. "I'll leave you alone." Katherine said as she turns back to leave and Elena could hear her exchanging pleasantries with Caroline on the stairs.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Caroline asked and Elena let out an anxious laugh as she sat back down on the bed. "That was a stupid question, I know you aren't."

"I am trying to be." Elena said and she meant it. She wants to feel okay but she knows that if there is any possibility of being okay then it would involve avoiding Damon but that is impossible. She can't do that, in a few days she is going to start spending the day in Damon's apartment as she prepare for Katherine's birthday. She just wished that Damon would respect her and give her space if she told him she needed it.

"Shall we?" Caroline asked and Elena nods. When they stand up, Caroline hugged Elena and whispered. "It is going to be okay, you are going to get through this."

"What if I can't?" Elena asked her voice cracking.

"You can, I told you I would be here whenever you need me." Caroline said. "Now don't smudge that mascara because we are going to the park." Caroline said as she pulled back. "I don't care how old we are, we are going to enjoy the evening, eat cotton candy and ride on a Ferris wheel."

"You are my hero." Elena giggled as Caroline pats her cheek.

"I know." She smirked. "Now, let's go and don't let anything affect you."

When they descended down the stairs, Katherine was curled up in Damon's arms and Damon has the remote in his hand as they flipped through the channels and laughing about god knows what.

"We are going out." Elena said simply and she tried to avoid Damon's eyes but she felt his stare on her cheek and her eyes moved to look at him. There was no emotion written there and she wished there is because she wanted to know what the hell is going on in that mind of his right now.

"You didn't mention anything about going out." Damon said trying to make light of the conversation and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Well, I _am _feeling better and I thought I would give you guys' time to catch up." Elena said and she heard Katherine laughed as she turned to look at them from Damon's arms.

"Aren't you so sweet, sis?" Katherine said as she smirked at Damon and Elena felt her gut tightened. She isn't ready to hear how they are going to spend the rest of the day together so she stepped back with a forced smile.

"We are going to spend the night at my place." Caroline quickly said and Damon looked at them with shock.

"You didn't pack a bag." Damon stated and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Duh!" she said walking away. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They walked out of the house and Elena was happy that Caroline was at her normal self and makes witty comments the entire time they were in the car. She found herself forgetting whatever it is that was going on but she knows it's only a matter of time. It is only for right now before her head hits the pillow. She feels so overwhelmed that she felt her stomach tightened and she was relieved to know that she has been taking care of herself so she won't be sick anytime soon.

When they reached the park, Caroline told Elena that some charity festival was going on and Bonnie was volunteering at the kissing booth. That made Elena laugh and as they walked to the kissing booth they saw Bonnie standing with her grams, Elena fought the urge to laugh because from the scowl on Bonnie's face she is being forced to do this.

"Hey Bon." Elena said with a smile and Bonnie shakes her head as she moved away from her grams.

"Don't even start." She said as the other girls burst out laughing. Seeing her two friends laughing, Bonnie couldn't help but laugh too. "I don't wanna kiss strangers, you see that guy in yellow-" Bonnie gestured her head towards a guy standing in yellow and he looks like he haven't showered in days and Elena gasped.

"Whoa!" she said. "That was the DJ Caroline kissed at homecoming last year. Is he always like this?"

"He has been winking at me since some lame ass kid told him I am volunteering at the kissing booth." Bonnie said as her hand moved to rub her temples and Caroline's hand moved to Bonnie's shoulder.

"Sorry sweetie, get ready to smell like rotten tomatoes for days." Caroline giggled.

"No, I am not gonna do it." Bonnie said panicked and her eyes moved back to Elena who has zoned out and is staring into the space. "Sweetie, you okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine." Elena lied with a smile and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Don't lie to me." Bonnie said simply. "I know about you and Damon."

"You told her?" Elena whispered in shock to Caroline and Caroline held her hands up in surrender.

"No Elena, I saw you kissing him in the car on my birthday." Bonnie said. "You were happy but I thought you trusted me?"

"Bonnie-" Elena said in an apologetic voice.

"It's fine; I wouldn't have told too, not that I would shag Damon, Eww." Bonnie said and Elena cracked a smile.

"Bonnie, your go." Her grams shouted and Bonnie closed her eyes to stay calm and she pats Elena's shoulder.

"Don't let that guy kiss you." Caroline said. "Demand 100 dollars, he wouldn't be able to afford it." Caroline whispered and she could see Bonnie's gram glaring at their way.

"I can't do that, right?" Bonnie asked Elena. Elena shrugged because she doesn't know a thing about these things. "Can I?"

"He is a dummy." Caroline said stomping her foot. "He might not know the rules."

"Fine, I would see you guys later." Bonnie said as she pat Elena's shoulder with a smile and Elena smiled back in response. They started walking away but a guy stopped them and they all turned to look at him.

"Hey, I am Dixon." Sure, he is good looking and all but the look he was giving Elena irks her. "You are?"

"She is Elena." Caroline said quickly and the guy smiled.

"I just want to get to know you." Dixon said and Elena took a step backwards.

"You look nice and all but believe me, I don't want to get involved with anyone whose name starts with D and ends with N." Elena said. "Sorry." She said as she turned around and Caroline followed her leaving the guy dumbfounded.

"Touché." Caroline said and Elena shakes her head.

"I can't believe you all knew." Elena murmured as she started walking towards the cotton candy bus with her hands in her denim pockets and Caroline chuckled.

"You are just an awful liar." Caroline said and Elena scoffed. "You have pulled it off well sometimes though." Caroline shrugged and Elena smacked her shoulder lightly.

"I just can't believe that I let myself start something I knew wasn't going to going to end up pretty." Elena said and Caroline stopped.

"Okay, if you are going to blame yourself or feel sorry for yourself, I am gonna take you back home." Caroline threatened and Elena rolled her eyes nevertheless.

"If you know the road to hell, just take me there." Elena said and they bought laugh as they continued walking and spent the rest of their afternoon having fun. When it started getting dark, they took Bonnie as they all drove to Caroline's apartment and they all laughed as they listened to Bonnie whine about the guys she kissed.

For Elena, she keeps zoning out and she couldn't help herself but try to think what Damon and Katherine were doing. She doesn't want to think about it because she had no right to say anything about it because at the end of the day, she was just the other woman.

..

_So I think this is going to be a two-parter. I think I will continue from where I left it and this feels like a filler chapter but please review. I said I'll post my next story idea but right now I just want to post this because I'm in the middle of something so it will come in the next chapter._

_Please let me know your thoughts. Xx_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_So in the early chapters of this story, I tried to explain that Elena wouldn't be so selfless and good as she used to be in my other stories and other stories as well. I needed a change and if some of you aren't happy with that, I am really sorry because that is what I want for this story. At least for the part that I have written. I appreciate the truth though. Thanks._

"We've all gotta agree..." Bonnie said as she emerged from the bathroom and joins a moody Elena and Caroline on Caroline's bed. "What you did was really low."

"Ouch." Elena said rolling her eyes. "But you are right; you should have been there to smack me back into my senses when it started. But then again, you didn't know."

"I wouldn't let you start." Bonnie said sincerely. "I tried to reach you the minute you left my party but your phone went straight to voicemail." Bonnie said and Elena sighed exasperatedly.

"I don't know what to say, I think this is partly my fault." Caroline started with a glint of guilt in her eyes. "I should have stopped you when I first found out, it was-"

"Okay guys, can we stop with the 'I should have' game?" Elena cuts in. "What happened with Damon was a mistake, it was just an infatuation and I was craving for something complicated."

"Are you saying that-" Bonnie asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, I am done with Damon." Elena said. "It's not worth losing my sister in the process. I can't undo what I did and I won't say I regret it but it's over."

"But you have feelings for him." Caroline asked and Elena turned her gaze away from the blonde's accusing hazel eyes and stared into the space. She did have feelings for Damon, ones that she can't explain in words and now as she sat here saying she wants to end things with Damon, all she wanted to do was have a shoulder to cry on but she doesn't want to look desperate. While Damon is having his fun with Katherine right now doing god knows what, the least she could do is end things with him even if that hurts like hell.

When she had really thought of it in the shower right now before she comes to bed with Caroline and Bonnie, it wasn't worth risking her relationship with Katherine. If anything, she loves Katherine to death because she is her only family and she would do anything to keep them together. She just needs to talk to Damon and ask him to keep it a secret if he had ever respected what they had. She knows there is no need in asking her friends to keep it a secret because her secret is safe with them and for that she couldn't ask for better friends.

"I don't have feelings for Damon." She said and Caroline nods her head but from the look in Caroline's eyes, Elena knows that she didn't believe what she said. So as slowly as ever Elena dragged herself off the bed and moved to the kitchen while her friends followed her.

"You know, my mum would be away for the whole week." Caroline said. "And Tyler's birthday is coming up day after tomorrow; I wanna throw a surprise bash for him tomorrow night." Caroline said clapping her hands in ecstasy and Elena stared at her friend smiling. She hoped her life is like Caroline's. Tyler is Caroline's third boyfriend and from the looks of it, Caroline and Tyler are meant to be. She just wished she would have something like that soon.

"Yeah, we can do it in the grill." Bonnie said high fiving Caroline and Elena turned to look at them as they entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, how about no?" Elena said and Caroline's shoulder slumped at that.

"Don't you want m to throw a party for Tyler?" Caroline said, her bottom lip pushed slightly further in her natural pout manner and Elena rolled her eyes.

"We can throw it anywhere but not the grill." Elena said and Bonnie murmured a little oh. Bonnie knows Elena doesn't want the party at the grill because Damon works there. He might not be there 24/7 but you would never know when he would come considering her deals with all the drinks. "What about here?"

"Elena, I know what you are thinking about but we can't throw a party here." Caroline said. "I want to give him a big surprise and believe me this wouldn't be enough."

"Fine." Elena said giving in as she threw her hands up in the air.

"Great!" Caroline squealed. "Now, I have to call Matt to have him occupy Tyler for tomorrow afternoon while we decorate and get the place ready." Caroline said running to her bedroom and Elena groaned loudly.

"Hey, you'll be okay." Bonnie said. "I promise."

"I don't know." Elena said as she pried herself off the counter and starts walking away. "Everything that happened is my fault; if anyone is to blame it is me. Because Damon has got nothing to lose in this, Katherine is sure as hell isn't his sister and he hasn't been in love with her for so long. He would find any girl the moment he does that thing with his eyes while-"

"Hey, it is okay." Bonnie said trying to soothe Elena as she put her hand on her shoulder but Elena moved away.

"I try to convince my sister that I haven't been sleeping with her boyfriend while she was-" she continued as tears starts streaming down her face as she paced the kitchen but Bonnie finally gets hold of her. "Don't tell me it is gonna be okay because it wouldn't be." Elena said as Bonnie finally hugged her and she sobbed on her friend's shoulder. "I am an awful person, Katherine deserves a better sister." She sobbed quietly.

"Shh, Elena. You are okay." Bonnie said. "Don't be hard on yourself, I am sure Katherine wouldn't find out and even if she does, it wouldn't be bad."

Elena nods but she knows better than to agree with her friend. If Katherine ever finds out, hell is going to break loose and nobody messes with Katherine. They might love each other to death but Katherine would surely find a way to know that she hurt Elena and she is scared. She is scared shitless of what her sister would do when she finds out because secrets like this would never stay hidden.

..

"What is going on here?" Damon asked as he entered the grill with Katherine beside him and Alaric chuckled as he walked to them.

"The powerpuff girls are throwing a surprise bash for their friend tonight." Alaric said gesturing to Bonnie, Elena and Caroline as they carry some cartons in and placed them on the table.

Damon zoned out as he saw Elena in a green turtle neck over sized shirt and denim shorts. Her hair is up in a neat bun and her beaded necklace is still round her neck even with the turtle neck she was wearing. Damon swallowed tightly; this girl is going to be the death of him. She looked sexy even without trying so hard. The last time he saw her was more than 24 hours back since she left with Caroline. It took everything in his will power not to call her or sneak out and go after her.

Yesterday night, he had done his best and escaped from having sex with Katherine because he just couldn't. He couldn't do that to Elena. At least until he knows where they stand. He wants her more than anything but the way she disappeared; he knows it wouldn't end well for them.

"Which friend?" Katherine asked and Damon turned to them as Alaric looks at him strangely.

"Tyler." Alaric said. "Good to have you back Katherine." Alaric said as he pats Katherine's shoulder and she smiled before he turns to Damon with that strange look in his eyes.

"Come on, let's go see how Elena is doing." Katherine said as she started walking off into Elena's direction and Damon followed her silently. "Elena." Katherine called out and Damon saw the way Elena turns around startled and shuffle lightly before smiling.

"Hey." She said to Katherine before acknowledging him coldly. "Damon."

"Elena." He said with a warm smile and her eyes turned back to her sister.

"So, did you guys 'catch up'?" Elena said air quoting her words silently at Katherine and Katherine smacks Elena's shoulder lightly.

"Shut up." Katherine replied as she moved closer to Elena and whispered something in her ear and Damon saw Elena's eyes flutter in relief as she whispered oh and pulled back. Before he could say more, Caroline and Bonnie appeared and they said hi before he steps back.

"Okay Kat, I would leave you with the girls." Damon said and the four heads whipped in his direction as she three shouted 'NO.'

"What, okay. Come on I know people hate me but I don't know you guys do too." Katherine said feigning anger. "Am I that awful?"

"No, it is just that-" Bonnie started and the lie stuck in her throat as Caroline takes up.

"We are not only planning a surprise for Tyler but for all the guests tonight." Caroline said as she laughed anxiously. "You can go hang out with friends."

"Yeah, after we show you the cardboard paper decoration Elena did, I didn't know she was great in art." Bonnie said as she takes Katherine hand and whispered to Elena "talk" and the three girls moved to the store room of the grill.

"Hey." Damon said and Elena takes her eyes off her friends who had left her to talk with Damon when she wasn't ready.

"Hey back." She murmured as she takes the marker and shakes it aggressively and tries to start writing with it.

"So, Katherine has a really bad timing."

"I know right." Elena said letting out an anxious laugh as she tried to show Damon that she isn't interested in having this talk right now but he refuses to back down.

"Elena, nothing happened with Katherine." He said silently trying to reason with her as she scoffed.

"And why do you think I care?" Elena said as she looked up at him trying to sound cold and he rolled his eyes.

"I think you care because I saw the relief in your eyes when Katherine told you we haven't slept together yesterday night." Damon said and Elena's mouth fell open. "Come on, Elena. We have something here and you know it."

"We had." She corrected. "I am not going to risk losing my sister for some sad affair that would end up tragic; it was a mistake that I don't wanna repeat." She said as she leaned down again to continue her cardboard decoration but Damon moves closer and takes away the marker from her hand and she stood straight putting her hand on her hips.

"What the hell?" she whispered sharply.

"I am not going to let you go." Damon responded and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Well, good luck with that because as far as I am concerned, we are done here. And if you have ever respected what we had, don't try to tell Katherine or show up at this party tonight." Elena said as she moved to him and snatched back her marker and cardboard paper as she walked away from him, taunting him with her steps and her long legs.

Elena wants to play hard to get and two can play a game right? He isn't ready to let her go and he understands why she is turning her back on him now but he just doesn't care. He is not in love with Katherine. He knows that, Elena knows and Katherine does. They are just deceiving their selves in this nonexistence triangle and he isn't going to take part in it. He isn't going to play dumb to his feelings. Right now, he can't break up with Katherine because he had promised her a lot of things and he wants to be able to fill that promises before he destroys what they have. It is better off if they break up and Katherine finds someone that she can genuinely be with just like he is sure Elena is the one for him.

"What the fuck was that?" Alaric asked from behind him and Damon shakes his head as he turned around and Alaric stared at him pointedly.

"I messed up, man." Damon said and Alaric looked at him with surprise written on his face.

"You didn't."

"I did." Damon said and before he knew it Alaric's jaw has made contact with his jaw. "What the hell?"

"That is me caring about you not your girlfriends." Alaric said. "Come and take ice from the freezer and tell me what you did." Alaric ordered and Damon followed him as he did what he was told.

"Look, I know what I did was awful and uncalled for but I know what I feel." Damon said as he finished telling Alaric what happened. "It is not Katherine's love."

"I understand where you are coming from but you are a dick." Alaric said. "And you are in a deep shit; I don't even know what to do with you."

"Don't you think I know that?" Damon hissed. "All this is foreign to me and I don't wanna hurt Katherine because believe it or not I care about her. Even if I don't, hurting Katherine means hurting Elena in the process and I would die before I let that happen." Damon said seriously and Alaric was about to start talking when Damon's phone started ringing.

"Hello?" Damon said blearily into the phone.

"_Damon Salvatore?"_ the other male voice asked and Damon's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes, can I help you?" Damon asked.

"_Umm, are you familiar with the name Riley Montgomery?" _

"The first name, nope. The second might be my mother's surname." Damon answered carefully and he heard the person on the other line cleared his throat.

"_Well, I am Riley Montgomery's lawyer and even though you said you don't know him, he passed away and I am sorry for your loss."_

"Umm, straight to the point, please?" Damon said almost sarcastically and Alaric mouthed 'what is it?' to him as Damon shrugged.

"_Well, from what I have here it appears that Mr. Montgomery doesn't have any kids so he left his will –which by the way is a large amount of money- to you and your brother. And from what I read here, you two are his nephews."_

"What?" Damon asked almost breathlessly.

"_75% is yours and 25% is your brother's." The man continued. "And there is a letter in your name, which I should open but he had it in his will before his sickness, so I would let you open it." _

"Okay?" Damon said and the man continued.

"_Now, you would have to fly to New York to meet me."_

"You know, the thought of having my own money sounds tempting but how do I know that you are not trolling me?" Damon asked as he stood up and moved away. "I don't even know that my mother has a brother for starters. So how would I fly to New York only to have my ass back in Mystic Falls because of your lame mistake?"

"_Mr. Salvatore, I promise there are a lot of things that we would talk about. You just get your brother and bring him here." The man said. "I am Liam Jameson by the way. I would text you the details of where to meet me."_

"Well, thank you." Damon said. "I would talk to my brother and we would know what to do." Damon said as he said his goodbyes to the Liam lawyer guy and moved back to Alaric as he sat down.

"Well, if anything that happened on the phone is true, I would say this day doesn't completely suck even if my jaw is not normal."

"Wait, what happened to your jaw?" Katherine said as she sat down next to Damon and put her hand on his jaw as she examined his face.

"I accidentally pushed him to the counter." Alaric said as he urged Damon to continue.

"I got a call from my dead uncle's lawyer- before you ask- I don't know I have an uncle too." Damon paused. "The guy said there are many things we have to talk about but he mentioned something about Riley-my dead uncle- leaving his will to me and Stefan because he doesn't have any kids." Damon explained and Katherine smiled as she looked at Alaric.

"Well, that is great right?" Katherine said and Alaric smiled back at her.

"Yeah, I am trying to understand why Damon is not happy about this."

"Well, Riley happens to be a selfish bastard or an-"

"What the hell?" Katherine shouted. "The guy is dead."

"I get 75% of the will while my brother only gets 25%." Damon shouted back and Alaric sighed as he understands where Damon is coming from. He thinks it is unfair to get 75% while his brother gets only 25%. "And newsflash, he wrote everything **before **he died."

"You don't know why he did that." Katherine said as she puts her hand on Damon's and tried to reason with him. He looks at her and he feels bad for everything he has been doing because he might not be in love anymore, but he cares about her and she seems to care about him too.

"Yeah, you are right." Damon said brushing off the matter. "Now I have to talk to Stefan and set a date of going to NYC."

"You are going down there to meet him?" Katherine asked and he nods. "Well, you can't miss my birthday."

"And I won't." Damon smiled. "I would get back before it happens.

"Thank you." Katherine murmured as she leaned in to kiss him and Alaric clears his throat.

"Well, we've still got a lot to talk about, Damon." Alaric said. "But you need to get your shit straight because I am supposed to have your back even if you are wrong and you do a lot of wrong." Alaric said as he noticed Katherine was away in her phone land and Damon nodded with a smile.

He was lucky after all.

"Hey, Katherine." Elena said from across the bar. "We are leaving, you are coming tonight right?"

"If Damon is coming." Katherine said as she looked at Damon and Damon puts on a cocky smirk.

"I would come, of course." Damon turns back to Elena as he saw her sent a glare at his direction. "I used to babysit Tyler, remember?"

"Whatever." Elena said as she picked up her purse and left. Damon is trying to mess with her. He isn't planning to let go of this soon and he wants to play a game, which she is not interested in participating.

What gets to her most is that she told him to stay away if he had ever respected what they had but he didn't which means she was just a game and a fling for him from the start, the thought made tears brim in her eyes but she doesn't want to cry. She is done crying for anything that involves Damon until Katherine finds out. Because she is sure Katherine would find out because from Damon's actions, he doesn't respect her.

..

_Nice twist for Damon, huh? More to come in the next chapter. Damon will be away in New York._

_And I am really sorry for the lots of talking in this chapter. I would make it up in the next chapter._

_Review. Xx _

_With Fighting The Test coming to an end, I want to start a new story but I don't know if I would post it before Next Year. Who knows? I just love writing and hearing from you so I might post it. But I want to have December to myself._

_Damon is 21 when he spent a summer with Elena thinking she was 18 when in reality she was 16. At the end of the summer when Damon finds out he left without saying goodbye and two years later he happens to be her professor in college where she has to deal with his cold attitude no matter what they had before._

_I just love the idea of writing a story about village romance so I didn't set the exact year for this because I have no experience whatsoever. _

_Damon is the first son of the king of Mystic Falls and he comes back home to get married. The problem is that he has his eyes on the personal maid that was assigned to him, Elena, instead of all the princesses that comes from many royal kingdoms in the world. (this is gonna be short. At least from the idea I have in my head right now.)_


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